Seventeen
by Leanna
Summary: The summer before their seventh year, Remus and Sirius move in together and their relationship drastically changes. What will happen when summer is over? SLASH! Please RR!
1. Roommates

**A/N: **Hey! My name's Leanna. Welcome to my luuurvely fic. A few things:

**Disclaimer: **Queen Rowling owns the world (or at least the characters in this story). I wish I owned Sirius and Remus. JK can keep Peter, though.

**Warning:** The main pairing of this story is Sirius/Remus, which means, dun dun duuuuuuun, this story is full of **slashy goodness**. For the less intelligence oriented of you out there – that means boy on boy luuuuuurve. Flames are welcome, so long as they are inventive and grammatically correct.

**Rating:** M – There is one love scene in this chapter, which I really wanted to avoid, but it's just not realistic that two seventeen year old boys would stop at kissing. It's not very detailed and should be pretty easy to skim over if desired. In fact, I've included nice bold warning markers if that is your intent.

Enjoy!

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**Chapter One: Roommates**

"Are you sure this is okay?" Remus asked, setting down the box he was carrying and looking around the empty flat to where Sirius stood behind the bar in the small kitchen.

"Of course it is!" Sirius declared, grabbing a bottle of firewhiskey and two glasses from a nearby open box and setting them on the counter. "Ol' Grangerford is leasing it to us for practically nothing! It's a steal."

He was referring to the owner of the apothecary below them who had decided to close up shop for the summer and finally take that vacation he'd been meaning to take for the past ten years. Remus had to admit they'd gotten and excellent deal and the location was perfect: right on the edge of diagon alley in London. But that hadn't exactly been what he'd meant.

"I mean, are you sure it's okay that I'm staying here?" He clarified, as Sirius poured them each a drink. "I feel weird – not being able to pitch in rent or anything."

Remus had been spending his summers with his grandfather for the six years that he had known Sirius, but his grandfather had passed away just before the end of term. Sirius had spent his last summer with the family of another of their close friends, James Potter, but he maintained that he had been planning to get his own place this summer regardless. Still, Remus felt uneasy. His friends had done so much for him already.

"Enough of that." Sirius said, dismissing Remus' concerns with a wave of his hand. "Let's have a drink."

"We still have more boxes sitting on the curb downstairs." Remus pointed out, making his way over to join Sirius nonetheless.

"Are you afraid its going to get stolen?" Sirius asked with a laugh, handing Remus a drink and downing his own. "No offense mate, but no one would want that crap besides you."

"Half those boxes are yours." Remus reminded him indignantly, gulping down his own firewhiskey with a grimace.

"You know what? You're right." Sirius agreed with a smirk. He set down his empty glass and headed for the door, presumably to haul more boxes. Remus couldn't help but smile at the retreating form of his friend. As much as he didn't want to be a burden on anyone, he couldn't imagine anywhere else he'd rather spend his summer. After all, this was the last summer before they would all graduate from Hogwarts. And for Remus, that was a depressing and somewhat scary thought.

Two hours later, all the boxes had been brought up, the bottle of firewhiskey was empty, and Remus and Sirius were sprawled out on opposite ends of the lone sagging couch.

"Well, this is kind of depressing." Sirius said, his words slightly slurred.

"I sure know how to bring down a room, eh?" Remus agreed, his speech punctuated with small hiccups.

"Not you." Sirius clarified, gesturing wildly around the flat. "This!"

Remus tried to follow Sirius' arm movements, but the motion made him dizzy.

"It's just not unpacked yet." He told Sirius, reasonably.

"No." Sirius said, shaking his head for emphasis. "I mean, us. Living here. I thought it would be liberating, but it's kind of depressing."

Remus snorted.

"You miss your mum already?" He asked, eyebrows slightly raised.

The distinct sound of someone gagging came from Sirius' end of the couch.

"Miss that old hag?" Sirius sputtered. After a few moments he calmed down enough to add, "The Potters were nice though. I kind of liked pretending I had a normal family for once."

Remus voiced his agreement with a small nod and a hiccup.

He turned to Sirius suddenly, as if something brilliant had just occurred to him.

"We're kind of like a family, though!" He said, with a lot more fervor than the statement really required. "We're the marauders! We're a pack! We're pack brothers! Aroooo!"

Sirius laughed and pushed Remus playfully with a finger to his lips to motion for him to be quiet.

"You want our new neighbors to know there's a wolf boy living next door?" He asked.

"Sorry." Remus murmured, hanging his head like a scolded two year old.

"You're right though." Sirius added, his countenance brightening considerably. "We are pack brothers. And we don't need family! We're going to have an awesome summer! Look at this place! It's a swinging bachelor pad!"

Remus greeted Sirius' declaration with a chorus of 'Yeah!'s and 'Who need's um?'s, but he eyed the sparsely decorated flat dubiously.

"I'm bored." Sirius announced after they had lapsed into silence for a few minutes. "Where did all the firewhiskey go?"

"You drank it." Remus returned sleepily. Sirius looked over to see his friend slumped against the arm of the couch, his eyes closed, and his breathing rapidly becoming more and more even.

Sirius stood up and stretched. He went to a nearby box and pulled out an old blanket, draping it over the form of his now slumbering friend. Remus' tawny hair had fallen into his eyes, and Sirius pushed it back with a tender hand, before heading to one of the bedrooms and collapsing on the bare mattress within.

The next day, Sirius woke with a monster of a headache. He felt as though someone was repeatedly hitting his head with a brick, though he couldn't imagine what he had done to this person for them to be abusing him so. He opened his eyes blearily and groaned, instantly wishing he hadn't.

Sunlight streamed into the room from the window which still lacked curtains or shades of any kind. Sirius groaned again and rolled off the mattress, stumbling into the kitchen. Remus was already up, unpacking. He seemed shocked to see Sirius awake.

"I didn't expect to see you up this early." He commented, casually moving to conceal something that he had been holding. "It's only 7:30, Sirius."

"Sun." Sirius groaned, by way of explanation.

"Sorry, mate." Remus said sympathetically as Sirius rooted around the boxes to find he bottle of hangover potion he knew he had somewhere.

He finally located the vial and downed the entire contents in one disgusting gulp.

"What's that?" He asked, now that he was a bit more coherent, gesturing at something that Remus had been attempting to return to one of the boxes without being noticed.

Remus blushed slightly, as if being caught red handed. He held out his hand to show a set of sturdy looking chains and handcuffs. Sirius smirked.

"Kinky, Remy." He commented.

Remus rolled his eyes, throwing the chains back into the box.

"They're for tonight." He told Sirius. Realizing he hadn't made things look any better, he clarified, "For the moon."

Sirius' smirk instantly became a frown.

"You're going to chain yourself up?" He asked, unnecessarily.

"We're living in a highly populated area now. We can't take any chances." Remus replied slowly. He sighed. "Look, I already checked the flat when we moved in. The exposed pipes in the bathroom will be strong enough to hold me. It'll be just like all my other transformations when I'm not at Hogwarts. And you can just go out tonight. I'll be fine by myself."

"Cut the crap." Sirius said. "You know I'm staying here with you."

"Seriously," Remus pleaded, almost desperately, "I'll be fine on my own. You don't need to be here."

"No fucking way." Sirius said, not believing the words he heard coming out of his friend's mouth. "I'm not going to run off and get smashed at some bar while you're chained up in the bathroom tearing your guts out!"

Remus shook his head sadly.

"What do you think I did all those years before I met you – all those summers when I was away from you?" He asked softly.

Sirius' eyes widened in shock at this revelation. What did he think, that Remus frolicked about on the loose when he was at home? He couldn't believe he had been so naïve.

"I had no idea." He muttered, not sure of what else to say.

Remus shook his head as if to dismiss the concerns of his friend.

"It's okay." He said.

"No!" Sirius burst out suddenly. "It's not okay! It's never okay. All this time I thought we were making it better for you –"

"You were!" Remus cut in.

"But no," Sirius continued as if he hadn't heard him, "all those summers you would just go back, go back to it, to being chained up like an animal."

Remus hung his head. He couldn't argue with that fact.

"I'm not going out tonight." Sirius said firmly. "I'm going to stay with you here."

"What're you going to do?" Remus asked bitterly. "A werewolf and a grown dog could hardly fit in that tiny bathroom. You'd practically have to lie on top of me!"

"Look," he said, his voice changing to a softer tone, "I want you to go out. Have fun. I'm used to it by now. I'll be okay."

He gave Sirius a look that firmly said 'this discussion is over'. Sirius saw the look in Remus' eyes and knew that there was no winning, so he finally agreed.

"Alright." He said slowly. "If that's what you really want."

When the sunset came Remus set a silencing charm over the outer walls of the flat and then methodically prepared the chains in the small bathroom, securely fastening them to the pipes and then around his own chest and hands. Sirius watched from the doorway, wishing there was something, anything, that he could do for his friend. With a sharp glance from Remus, he finally gave a nod and said goodbye, heading out the door.

Instead of going directly to the nearest pub, however, he sat outside the door, lighting up a cigarette and merely waiting. As soon as the moon rose in the sky he was back inside the flat listening to Remus' anguished cries emanating from the bathroom. When the cries became howls, Sirius transformed into a great black dog and bounded through the door into the bathroom, throwing himself onto the raging wolf inside, so that its sharp claws dug into the dog's hide instead of into its own flesh. The werewolf and the animagus thrashed around in the small space for most of the night leaving them both in tatters by the morning, though the dog more decidedly so.

When Remus woke, he was met with a searing pain. As usual after his transformations, his whole body felt on fire. He could feel numerous new cuts and bruises spread throughout his body. Yet somehow the pain wasn't as bad as usual. He felt warm somehow, comforted. He took a moment to get his senses together and came to the realization that he wasn't alone. He could feel the chains still wrapped around his arms, the cool metal almost a relief against his burning skin. But there was something else as well. Strong arms were wrapped around his waist, holding him in a warm embrace that made him want to curl up and go back to sleep, ignoring the pain.

Instead, he gingerly opened his eyes and tried to get his bearings. He was still lying on the floor in the bathroom, but he was definitely not alone. He lay wrapped up in Sirius' arms. As he shifted to look at the other still sleeping boy, he saw that Sirius looked almost as bad as he, though he lacked Remus' multitude of past scars. Remus blushed furiously when he realized that their clothes had both been ripped to shreds at some point during the night. He tried unsuccessfully for a few moments to extricate himself from Sirius' grasp, but then gave up, realizing that there was no place for him to go as he was still chained to the pipes.

After a few moments, Sirius began to stir, still not loosening his hold on Remus. He opened his eyes and looked up at the smaller boy, who had attempted to prop himself up against the wall. He let go of his friend immediately, pulling himself up off the floor and into a crouched position against the sink.

Remus was staring down into his palms, avoiding Sirius' gaze. Sirius saw the remains of his robes lying in a heap in the corner and all at once realized that neither of them were clothed.

"I told you to go out." Remus muttered softly, still not looking up at him. "I didn't want you here."

Even though Sirius had let go of Remus as soon as he had awoke, they were still crowded into the tiny bathroom, with barely a hairs breadth between them. Not caring about their current state of indecency, Sirius reached out and laid a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I had to stay." Sirius told him, simply. "It's like you said last night. We're family."

Remus shrugged off Sirius' hand, but he did finally look at him.

"I'm glad you did." He admitted, almost inaudibly.

Sirius gave a smile, but his heart wasn't in it. He had only really given a half-truth. He real reason he had come back was because it was Remus. His Remus. He couldn't bear to think of him suffering alone, chained up like a beast. Now, sitting with him like this, so similar to so many dreams he had had, he never felt so alone.

He slowly stood, helping Remus to his feet as well, noticing every place their skin met, even if only for a moment. He gabbed the small brass key from the box behind the sink and reached around Remus to unlock the heavy chains. With Sirius' arms wrapped around Remus to unfasten the locks, their faces were only inches apart. All at once it was too much for Sirius to take.

Before he could stop himself, his lips were on Remus'. He felt Remus tense with shock, pushing back into the wall. Sirius broke the kiss abruptly, not believing what he had just done.

Remus simply stared at him for several moments, his eyes wide. Sirius desperately tried to think of something to stay.

"I… I'm sorry, Moony." He stammered, a pleading look in his eyes. "I sh.. I shouldn't have done that. I just, I just thought you… I mean…"

Suddenly, Sirius found his lips silenced by the touch of Remus' own. For a moment he couldn't comprehend what was happening, until he felt Remus' tongue easing across his bottom lip, urging his mouth open. Sirius complied and the kiss deepened, his heart singing out at the thought that Remus, his Remus, was actually kissing him back! Remus pulled free of the chains that Sirius had unfastened, and ran his hands through Sirius' hair, pulling their bodies closer.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to do this." Sirius murmured, when they came up for air.

**A/N: And now it gets a bit dirty… if you'd like to avert your gaze**

"I know." Remus returned huskily, sending shivers through Sirius' entire body. To his immense satisfaction he could feel Remus' erection against his thigh, silently begging him to take things one step farther.

He broke away from Remus' grasp and grabbed his hand, pulling him out of the bathroom and towards the couch. He pushed Remus onto the sagging cushions and lower himself on top of the boy, kissing him passionately. He could feel Remus' hips bucking up against his own erection, pleading for release. Sirius broke the kiss to look directly into Remus eyes. Those beautiful grey eyes that usually made him think of the sky after a storm were now slowly driving him crazy with lust.

"Are you sure about this?" He whispered, knowing they couldn't take it back.

Remus had been his secret desire for so many years now that it was hard for him to believe that this was actually happening. He didn't realize he was holding his breath for Remus' response.

Remus reached up and traced the edge of Sirius' cheek.

"I'm sure." He told him, pulling Sirius back towards him.

After a few more moments of passionate kissing, Sirius felt as though he might explode. He was dizzy with the thought of his deepest fantasy being realized. He pulled back from Remus and turned the boy over gently. He slowly guided himself into Remus' opening, with one hand caressing Remus' own throbbing member. Remus let out a groan of pleasure as Sirius ran his fingers lightly down the shaft, simultaneously pumping into him. They came together in a spasm of ecstasy, the explosion of Sirius' orgasm sending Remus over the edge as well. They fell back onto the couch, breathing hard, still wrapped up in one another's arms.

**/end dirtiness**

Sirius reached up and pushed a damp lock of Remus' hair out of his eyes.

"I love you, Moony." He said softly, feeling no secret was too big anymore.

Remus' eyes were closed, his breath coming in short gasps as he lay against Sirius' shoulder. Sirius was beginning to think he had fallen back asleep when he heard a very faint, "Love you, too."

Sirius closed his eyes and smiled happily, not believing in a million years that this moment would have ever arrived. The last thought he had before he drifted back to sleep was, _this is going to be the greatest summer ever._

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Well, there's chapter one! I hope you liked it. Remember: Reviewing is hawt. And may earn you sexual favors. Or at least warm gratitude.

Chapter Two… things start to get a bit more complicated. Introducing Spunky!Lily, Whipped!James, and Greasy!Snivellus, among others.


	2. Just Friends

**A/N: **Reviews make me smile! **SiriRemy** - My first reviewer! I'm so glad you liked the first chapter! Here's your update. **marauders4** – Aww, thank you! I hope Whipped!James doesn't disappoint! **Miss JaD** – Oh, I never leave characters unhappy for too long. :) Je suis content que vous aimez mon histoire, mon petite amie français! Was that even remotely close to being right? LOL. Here's your update. **S.c.ou.s.er.4.li.f.e** – Why, thanks, sugar. Hope you like this next chapter!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, JKR is goddess of the universe, etc, etc.

**Warning:** As always, slashiness abounds. Read at your own risk. :)

**Rating:** T – For implied slash, mature themes, and a bit of language.

I lied to you. Greasy!Snivellus will not be making an appearance until next chapter. But Spunky!Lily and Whipped!James are here as promised!

Also, I'll try to add a new chapter every weekend if I can. That seems to have worked out good so far. So, yeah. Enjoy!

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**Chapter Two: Just Friends**

Lily Evans opened her eyes and stretched, trying to pull her surroundings into focus. She was in a small, plainly furnished room, with a single window facing east that the pink light of the morning sun was just starting to shine through. Someone lay beside her, beginning to wake himself, turning slightly in his half-woken state.

"Good morning." She greeted him in a soft murmur, smiling as he opened his eyes and returned her greeting. Her smile quickly disappeared, however, when the door was flung open, and another young man entered the room, looking extremely upset.

"What the hell are you doing in bed with my girlfriend!" James Potter demanded of the other boy, who was now fully awake. When there was no response he screamed, "Answer me, Remus!"

_24 hours earlier…_

Sirius reread the letter for the tenth time, sighing audibly even though there was no one around to hear him. The letter was from his best friend James, and it basically announced that he, his girlfriend Lily, and another friend of theirs, Peter, were all going to be showing up that afternoon to do their school shopping in diagon alley. According to James, they meant to stay the weekend.

Sirius dropped the letter onto the table and ran a hand through his thick black hair. Normally he would be glad to see James, especially since they hadn't seen each other for months now. But for the past few months everything had been perfect, he and Remus had been in their own world. Now suddenly, it seemed like it was time to rejoin reality, and he wasn't ready yet.

As he was thinking all of this, the front door to the flat opened and Remus himself came bounding in, shaking the water out of his hair like, well, a wolf.

"It's really coming down out there." He told Sirius, setting the bag he was carrying onto the counter. He spied the letter sitting on the table and noted Sirius' forlorn expression.

"Bad news?" He asked.

Sirius seemed to snap out of his funk, looking up at Remus and then back down at the letter.

"No, not really." He said quickly. "It's just from James. He and Peter and Evans are coming up this afternoon. Leave it to Prongs to give us no warning whatsoever. He actually spends most of the letter trying to find ways to work in the fact that he finally snagged Evans. Not like it'll last."

At this news, Remus seemed to pale considerably.

"They're going to be here this afternoon?" He repeated. When Sirius nodded a confirmation, he asked, "Where are they going to stay?"

"With us." Sirius told him.

"With us?" Remus echoed Sirius once again. He slumped into the nearest chair and picked up the letter to read for himself.

"What're we gonna do?" He asked, replacing the letter on the table.

"About what?" Sirius returned.

"You know what." Remus answered. When Sirius still didn't say anything, he elaborated, "About this… about us?"

"You think we need to do something about us?" Sirius asked, rather defensively.

"You know what I mean." Remus exclaimed.

"No, I don't know what you mean, actually." Sirius retorted.

"Oh, come on, Sirius, don't be like that." Remus said, throwing up his hands in exasperation. He stood up again, and paced the length of the small kitchen.

"I mean, really, what do you propose we do, just hit 'em with it as they walk in the door?" He asked sarcastically. "A little, 'How was your summer? And oh, by the way, we've been sleeping together.' Something like that?"

"So that's all this is now? We're just sleeping together?" Sirius questioned fiercely.

"You're twisting around everything I say!" Remus burst out in frustration.

"Well? Come on. You didn't answer my question." Sirius returned coolly.

"Of course that's not all this is. You know that." Remus assured him with feeling. "Why are you jumping all over me?"

"I'm sorry." Sirius muttered, staring down at the floor. He sighed. "Look, this is freaking me out too, okay?"

"Okay." Remus said, by way of accepting his apology. He understood Sirius' stress well enough.

After a moment he repeated his original question. "So what're we going to do?"

"It's only James and Peter and Lily, right?" Sirius answered finally. "This doesn't have to be a big deal if we don't make it one."

Remus wasn't buying it.

"That's crap and you know it, Sirius." He exclaimed. "It is a big deal. It's always a big deal. And it's going to be an even bigger deal _because_ it's James and Peter and Lily, They're our friends, our good friends. It matters that much more what they think about us."

"So what do you propose we do, lie?" Sirius asked, his voice rising once more. "Oh wait, I forgot, that's your answer for everything."

Remus recoiled as if Sirius had just slapped him across the face.

"Sometimes you have to lie." He finally replied, his voice low and filled with emotion. "Sometimes a lie is the only thing that keeps you alive."

Sirius felt terrible. He knew how much it hurt Remus to keep his lycanthropy a secret. He could see it almost every day. He didn't mean to be lashing out at him like this. This wasn't how he wanted this conversation to be going.

"I'm sorry, okay?" He whispered after a moment, looking up at Remus, his eyes full of sincerity. "I don't want to fight with you."

"I don't want to fight with you either." Remus muttered.

"Listen, why don't we just hold off on saying anything for now." Sirius decided finally. "They'll be here in a few hours and we obviously need more time to talk about this."

It was a peace offering, and Remus knew it. He gave Sirius a look as if deciding whether or not to accept it.

"So we'll wait?" He asked softly.

"We'll wait." Sirius repeated.

A few hours later, James and the others arrived as promised.

"Wow, this place is small." Were the first words out of James' mouth upon entering the flat.

"Good thing you gave us advance notice so we could clean out your deluxe suite." Sirius replied sarcastically, clapping James on the back as he ushered him inside.

Lily followed closely behind, dropping her bag by the door before pulling Remus into a tight hug.

"Hey, you." She said warmly as they pulled apart.

"Hey." Remus returned, nodding to Peter as he brought up the rear, closing the door behind him.

"I thought we could get all of our shopping out of the way this afternoon," Lily began, turning to James for confirmation.

Before James could answer, however, Sirius shook his head, making his way into the kitchen.

"First, a celebratory toast." He said with a grin as he returned, a bottle of firewhiskey in each hand.

James glanced at Lily, obviously waiting for her response in order to gage his own.

"Oh, alright." Lily agreed with a sigh. "But just one drink. Then we go."

By midnight they still hadn't made it out of the flat.

"So then," James said between laughs, an empty bottle of firewhiskey on the floor by his feet, "I said to him, I said, 'it's just a chicken – not a broomstick'!"

He erupted in laughter, and the rest of the group joined him, enjoying the conclusion of James' tale. All except Peter, who had already fallen asleep on the floor near Sirius' feet. They had spent most of the afternoon and night drinking and telling stories of their summers. If anyone noticed that Remus and Sirius were a bit more quiet then usual, no one said anything.

"I'm bored." Sirius declared, after a moment. "What happened to the firewhiskey?"

"You drank it." Remus responded with the distinct impression that they'd had this conversation before.

"There's another bottle in the kitchen!" Sirius remembered suddenly.

"More firewhiskey, more firewhiskey!" James chanted in a manner that suggested he'd already had quite enough.

"I'll get it." Lily offered, extricating herself from James' grasp where they sat on the couch. "I have to go to the loo anyway."

Once Lily had left, the room lapsed into silence.

"So what ever happened to that guy?" Remus prompted James after a few minutes.

There was no response from James, and glancing around the room, Remus realized that both James and Sirius seemed to have fallen asleep. Not wanting to disturb them, he got up and moved to the kitchen.

Lily finally came back with the third bottle of firewhiskey. She set it down on the table with a sigh, glancing at the figures of the sleeping boys.

"What is this?" She whispered to Remus, after joining him in the kitchen.

"Too much fun." Remus returned with a slight smirk.

Lily sighed again, taking a seat next to him at the table.

"All talk, no follow through," she muttered, "that was always his problem."

Remus laughed loudly at that observation, but quickly checked himself given their proximity to the others. He stood up and took Lily's hand, gesturing for her to follow him into one of the other rooms. As an afterthought, he grabbed the bottle of firewhiskey as well. As soon as they were inside, he shut the door, shielding their voices from the sleeping boys outside. Lily took a seat on the bed and Remus joined her, opening the new bottle and taking a swig.

"Is this your room?" Lily asked, noting its lack of furnishings. In fact, as opposed to the other bedroom, this one hardly looked as though anyone lived in it at all. Remus looked unsure for a moment, then finally gave a sort of half-shrug.

"I guess." He said.

Lily kicked off her shoes and snuggled down into the bed, motioning for Remus to join her. He did so, laughing slightly.

"What would your boyfriend think about this?" He asked playfully, setting the firewhiskey on the bedside table and wrapping an arm around his friend as she leaned into his chest.

"Don't worry," she assured him with a wry smile, "you could totally take him."

Remus laughed, knowing how upset James would be if he could hear their conversation.

"So what's going on with you?" Lily asked suddenly, switching to a more serious tone.

"What do you mean?" Remus returned innocently.

"Something is up with you." She insisted. "I noticed it as soon as we got here. Are you seeing someone?"

Remus was so startled, he merely stared at her for a moment. Then all at once he burst out laughing.

"That figures." He cried, exasperated. "I thought I was playing it so cool, but then as soon as we have a minute alone, the first thing you ask me is if I'm seeing someone! You know me too well."

"So," Lily pushed, not about to let him get off so easy, "come on, spill! Tell me about her."

Remus' countenance suddenly changed. He pushed himself away from Lily a bit, and reached out for the bottle of firewhiskey, taking another drink.

"I don't want to talk about it." He muttered.

Lily looked a bit hurt. She opened her mouth to say something but Remus cut her off.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to… it's just… complicated, that's all." He told her.

"Does she go to Hogwarts?" Lily asked.

Remus sighed, realizing he wasn't going to get out of talking about this.

"Yes, they go to Hogwarts." He finally allowed.

"It's not a Slytherin, is it?" Lily questioned.

"No." Remus answered. "It's a Gryffindor."

He mentally smacked himself. He hadn't meant to tell her that. Suddenly, Lily gasped.

"It's not a first year, is it?" She asked, horrified.

Remus laughed, giving Lily a playful shove.

"No." He told her. "We're the same age."

Lily smirked, giving him a look that said she had tricked him into telling her everything she needed to know.

"That means it's either Valerie, Kate, Rachel, or Louise!" She concluded triumphantly, naming the four other Gryffindor girls in their year.

"Actually, no, no, no, and no." Remus told her, unable to stop himself.

Lily frowned slightly, as if trying to think who she had missed.

"If it's a seventh year Gryffindor, and it's not Rachel, Kate, Louise, or Valerie… that's everyone! I mean, all that's left are Peter, James, Sirius…" Lily stopped abruptly. "Oh my god. Sirius."

Remus didn't even try to deny it. He knew Lily would be able to see through any of his lies.

"Wow. I just… wow." She breathed. "How did this happen?"

"I don't know." Remus answered honestly. "It just did."

"When?" Lily returned. "I mean, how long have you been… erm, seeing each other?"

"Pretty much all summer." Remus told her.

"Wow." Lily repeated once again, seemingly stunned. She fell silent for a moment, as if needing to process all of this new information.

"I'm sorry." She said after a moment. "I'm just having a hard time with this. It's not so much the fact that he's a guy so much as the fact that it's Sirius. I mean, out of all the people you could have picked… Sirius, really?"

"James, really?" Remus shot back, defensively.

Lily couldn't help laughing despite herself.

"Touché." She said, holding her hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Sirius is a lot more than what you see." Remus mused quietly, trying to put his feelings into words Lily would understand. "He knows all my deepest secrets and he still cares about me. He's seen all my scars and he still wants me. He would do anything for me. You don't find that kind of loyalty every day."

Lily nodded slightly.

"I guess I always kind of wondered why the four of you were such good friends," she admitted, "but what you said makes sense. I think I understand what you mean."

They fell silent for a moment, still snuggled up together under the covers.

After a minute or so, Lily ventured awkwardly, "I know this is absolutely none of my business, but have you two… you know?"

"Have we what?" Remus asked innocently, knowing full well what Lily meant.

Lily let out a frustrated sigh.

"You know what I mean." She told him, going slightly pink.

Remus laughed at Lily's discomfort.

"Yeah, we have." He told her finally.

Lily fell silent for a moment before asking, "So how long did you wait?"

"What do you mean?" Remus returned, eyebrows raised.

"I mean, how long was it from when you first… erm… from your first kiss, to when you first… well, you know." She clarified, her cheeks getting redder by the moment. "I mean was it just days? Or weeks? What?"

Remus thought for a few moments.

"I'd say about fifteen minutes, give or take." He answered.

"Fifteen _minutes_!" Lily repeated, shocked.

"Give or take." Remus said with a shrug. "Why?"

Lily sighed heavily.

"James and I, we… er, haven't." She admitted. "I've been trying to figure out how long I should wait… but I definitely won't be using you as a role model! Fifteen minutes. Good lord."

Remus laughed.

"We're both seventeen year old boys, Lil. Between the two of us, our self-restraint would fit inside a shoebox." He defended himself with a laugh.

He shook his head, thinking about Lily's other admission, "Poor James."

"If I tell you something, will you promise not to think it's stupid?" She asked earnestly.

"Absolutely not." Remus replied, with a small laugh. "I mean, what if it really is stupid?"

Lily rolled her eyes.

"It's just, sometimes I worry that James is only in it for the chase." She told Remus softly. "He's been after me for so long – what if it was only because I was unattainable? What if I sleep with him and then he suddenly gets bored with me, like 'been there, done that'?"

"I highly doubt that would happen." Remus assured her. "He loves you."

"Yeah, but that's my point," Lily continued. "Do you remember the first time he told me he loved me? I do. It was the very first day he met me. Our first day at Hogwarts, he kept staring at me all through dinner. When I finally asked him what he was looking at, he said, 'I think I love you'. He was eleven."

Remus laughed.

"I don't really remember that," he admitted, "but it sounds like James alright."

"So how am I supposed to believe those same words mean something now? What's the difference?" She asked.

"Let me ask you something," Remus said slowly, trying to piece his question together carefully. "James has asked you out every other week since our first year, and you've always turned him down. But this time you didn't. There must have been some reason why you said 'yes' this time. So, what was it?"

Lily pondered his question for a moment, frowning slightly.

"I don't know." She answered softly.

"Well, maybe when you figure that out, you'll be able to figure out everything else." Remus suggested.

"Maybe." Lily agreed, though her voice sounded a bit distant.

Remus glanced down to see that Lily was slowly drifting off to sleep. He drew the covers up a little tighter around them both.

"Goodnight, Lils." He said softly.

" 'Night." She murmured sleepily.

After a few moments, her breathing became slow and even, and Remus closed his eyes as well. He hadn't felt especially tired, but as soon as his eyes fluttered closed, he was out for the night, or what was left of it at least.

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That's chapter two! Ta-da! Did you know, reviewing burns calories? Go ahead, try it and see!

Chapter Three… back to Hogwarts! Oh, the possibilities. ;)


	3. Brothers

**A/N: **So many reviewers! I love you all like I love hot guys wrestling naked covered in hot fudge. (Loses herself for a moment in that amazing imagery…) **Rebellover** – Good! I was hoping the beginning would throw people off! And I'm glad that you're hooked. It only gets better, I promise! **molloch** – I'm glad the characters seem real to you! That's one of my biggest things when I write. I'm definitely a dialogue writer more than anything. **Apus-Equuleus**– People who don't adore Remus/Sirius must be out of their minds, don't you think? What's cuter than puppy love? **Jenny (****Miss JaD)** – My first return reviewer! I've always liked Lily too. She's so fun to write – especially because she is pretty much the only girl in this fic! LOL. **sesshomaruhasafluffytail** – Oh my goodness! I hope your poor hair is okay! Glad you're enjoying the fic!

**Disclaimer: **JKR owns Harry Potter and all his mates. I'm just a sad moocher.

**Warning:** Remus and Sirius are both guys. If you've read this far, you should probably have caught on to that by now.

**Rating:** T – For implied slash, mature themes, language, and whatever else happens in this chapter that little kids are probably already exposed to every day when they turn on the tv and watch the news or even their creepy little kid shows.

Okay, so it's only Tuesday and I said I wouldn't be posting 'till the weekend, but this chapter got written so it's getting posted! Lucky you.

Again, this chapter isn't quite what I thought it would be. I actually started the next chapter before this one, but a lot of BIG stuff happens next chapter and I didn't feel like there was enough of a lead up when I reread it.

So, sorry if this chapter feels at all like filler. I, personally, think it's really cute. And the insight into the characters is important for what happens next chapter.

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**Chapter Three: Brothers**

"I still don't think it was that funny." James muttered bitterly, over the wild laughter of his friends.

He, Lily, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were sharing a compartment on the Hogwarts Express, headed back for their final year of school. Sirius had just brought up the now infamous Lily and Remus falling asleep together story, much to the amusement of everyone but James.

"That's only because you didn't see your face when you opened the door!" Sirius told him, breaking off into another peal of laughter.

"You looked a bit upset yourself, Sirius." Lily mentioned casually, throwing Sirius a mischievous glance from across the compartment. His laughter died at Lily's remarks. His smile turned to a slight frown as he gazed at her, but it was quickly replaced by his usual smirk.

"I was just worried I would have to watch James kill Remus to defend your honor." He told her, playfully. But his gaze was locked into hers, a silent challenge to see if she would continue the game.

She was the first to look away, glancing at Remus. Whatever she saw on his face caused her to lean back in her seat with a sigh. She turned back to Sirius with a look that plainly said, 'Okay, you win.' She said nothing.

James couldn't fail to notice the silent conversation that seemed to be going on between his best friend and his girlfriend. He was about to comment on it when suddenly, the door slid open and another boy entered the compartment.

The boy shared Sirius' shaggy black hair and deep brown eyes, though he looked a few years younger. The seal on his robes was green, designating him as belonging to the rival house of Slytherin. The entire compartment seemed to fall even more silent at his entrance.

"Ah, if it isn't the noble Gryffindors." He greeted them, leaning against the door frame. He glanced over at Sirius and nodded to him. "Mum sends her love."

"I doubt it." Sirius replied darkly.

"Well, maybe love is a bit too strong a word for her sentiments." The boy conceded. "I believe her exact words were, 'If you see that filthy blood-traitor brother of yours, tell him he's been burned off the family tree' or something to that effect."

"Well, that's sweet." Sirius said sarcastically. "Are you done now, Regulus? We were kind of in the middle of something."

Regulus put a hand to his heart as if mortally wounded.

"That hurts, Sirius." He said, mock serious. "You can't even spare one minute for a brother you haven't seen all summer?"

"Well, I didn't see you dropping by my flat to say hi." Sirius retorted. "Nothing was stopping you, you know."

"You know, I really meant to." Regulus told him, in a manner which suggested the exact opposite was true. "But when I heard you were spending the summer with that pet wolf of yours…"

Regulus had barely got the words out of his mouth before Sirius was out of his seat, pushing him out of the compartment and into the hallway. He slid the door shut behind them.

"Don't you _ever_ talk about Remus' condition like that." Sirius hissed, pinning his younger brother against the wall.

"Do you remember what I told you two years ago when you overheard that conversation between James and I?" Sirius asked. He smiled when Regulus squirmed, clearly remembering all too well. "Well, it still applies, okay? You might have grown up a bit since then, but I've still got a lot of muscle on you."

Regulus shrugged off Sirius' grasp and straightened his robes.

"I was just kidding around." He muttered. "It's not like anyone would have known what I was talking about unless they already knew."

Sirius rolled his eyes and moved to re-enter the compartment, but Regulus caught his arm.

"I really did mean to come by this summer." He said, sincerely this time. "But mum wouldn't hear of it…"

"It's okay, really." Sirius told him, shaking his head. "I wasn't waiting by the door or anything."

"Good. I just… well, still, I'm sorry." Regulus returned softly. After a moment he added, "They've been a hundred times worse since you left."

"You could have come with me…" Sirius started.

"No, I couldn't have." Regulus cut him off. Obviously this was an old conversation. "Look, I have to go. I just wanted to… I don't know."

"I get it." Sirius said softly.

He gave his brother a final nod of understanding, and then returned to the compartment. His friends were waiting expectantly.

"What was that all about?" Peter asked timidly, when Sirius sat back down without volunteering any information.

"Oh, you know," Sirius answered vaguely, "just brother stuff. That's all."

Remus gave Sirius a questioning look, but Sirius just shook his head. He never liked to talk about his family issues, even to Remus. The most anyone knew was that he and his parents had never seen eye to eye on things and that during Christmas break fifth year there had been some sort of major blowup that resulted in Sirius spending the following summer at the Potters. The only person out of the group to have met Sirius' parents was James, and that was only briefly, when he accompanied Sirius to get some of the things he had left at his old house. It turned out they needn't have bothered though, as his mother had apparently burned or threw out everything he owned.

His relationship to his brother was even more ambiguous. They rarely conversed at school and when they did, it was mostly with sarcasm. Yet they still somehow seemed to maintain a sort of brotherly affection for one another. Both brothers seemed to want to save the other from the choices they had made. Sirius couldn't understand why Regulus refused to question their parents' views of pureblood supremacy and Regulus, for his part, couldn't understand how Sirius was so willing to give up the Black family legacy, and all the power associated with it. Such was the fatal flaw in their relationship: neither could make the other understand.

The rest of the trip passed uneventful, especially with Sirius seemingly lost in his own world. James and Peter played a couple rounds of gobstones, and Lily and Remus spent most of the time reading. When the train started to slow, signaling their approach to Hogwarts, James and Lily stood. As head boy and girl, they had to oversee the other students as they made their way to the castle. James waited for Sirius' usual sarcastic remarks, as he fastened on his brass badge, but none came. He shot a glance at Remus and Peter who both shrugged.

"Well, we've got to go on ahead." He said finally.

When Sirius merely nodded, James added uncertainly, "You know, head boy duties and all."

"See you in the great hall." Sirius responded, without really looking at him, or at anyone.

James shot Remus a worried glance. Sirius not taking the opportunity to make fun of James for being appointed head boy? Something was definitely wrong.

Remus gave James a look that said, 'I'll talk to him.'

James nodded. With one last look at his despondent friend, he took Lily's hand and headed out into the corridor. The compartment fell back into complete silence. Remus wanted desperately to say something to Sirius, but he wanted to wait until they were alone. Ten minutes passed in silence, with the exception of a few poor attempts on Peter's part at starting conversation. Then finally it was time for them to exit the train.

Sirius was quiet all through dinner and the sorting as well. In the fun and bustle of the opening feast however, no one seemed to notice aside from Remus. Even James seemed to have forgotten his earlier concerns and spent most of the evening in a lively debate about the coming quidditch season. When they all made their way back to Gryffindor tower after the feast, Remus decided he needed to find a way to get Sirius alone. Most of the upperclassmen stayed in the common room for a bit on the first night, getting reacquainted and telling stories of their summers, but Sirius headed straight for their dorm room. Remus followed him.

"You want to tell me what's going on?" Remus asked once they were inside, the door closed behind them. Sirius sat down on his four poster bed and ran a hand through his hair as he did when he was agitated or stressed.

"I'm sorry." Sirius said quietly. "I know I've been a drag tonight."

"Is this about what happened on the train?" Remus asked. "Did Regulus say something?"

"You know, just the usual." Sirius answered vaguely.

"No, I don't know, Sirius." Remus replied, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice. "You never talk about your family."

"That's because there's nothing to talk about." Sirius muttered.

"Why did you move out of your parents' house?" Remus asked bluntly.

"I was just sick of them. I couldn't take it anymore." Sirius told him, without elaboration.

"Why? What happened?" Remus pushed.

"I don't want to talk about it." Sirius replied.

"Why not?" Remus prodded softly.

"Because it doesn't matter." Sirius said with a sigh.

"Obviously it does, or you wouldn't be so upset." Remus pointed out.

"That's not what I'm upset about!" Sirius exclaimed. Seeing Remus wasn't going to let it go, he added, "Fine, you want to know why I left my parents house? Because they found out about you."

"What? How?" Remus asked, bewildered.

"Regulus let it slip at dinner one night." Sirius related with a sigh. "He didn't mean to. He had just found out a few weeks ago and he was only thirteen at the time… still, I could've rung his neck. I mean, the four of us are having dinner, which is never a good thing, and Regulus is getting more and more agitated. He'd said it before I even knew what was happening."

"What happened?" Remus questioned hesitantly, not sure he really wanted to know the rest.

"My parents exploded, of course." Sirius said, shaking his head at the memory. "My mum went into a rant about 'filthy half-breeds' tainting the wizarding world and what a shame it was that the 'silver bullet solution' had been outlawed by the ministry. I couldn't stand them talking about you like that. I just had to get out. It was the final straw in a long line of things. If it hadn't have been that, it would have just been something else."

"Still, I can't believe you left your family because of me." Remus murmured softly.

"See, this is why I didn't want to talk about this." Sirius returned, turning so he could look Remus straight in the eye. "Look, Remus, those people – my parents, even Regulus – aren't my family. You are. You and James and Peter. We're pack brothers, remember? I'm okay with the way things turned out. You think I would've rather spent last summer with my parents than with you? Last summer was the best summer of my life."

Remus nodded slowly, accepting Sirius' words for the sincerity with which they were spoken.

"Well, if that isn't what's bothering you, then what is?" He asked finally, taking a seat next to Sirius on the bed.

"I don't know." Sirius told him. "It's just… being back here. Everything is different. And everything is exactly the same."

"What do you mean?" Remus asked, not understanding where he was going.

"What Lily said on the train about me being upset about finding you and her in bed together? Upset doesn't even begin to cover how I felt…" Sirius began.

"We just fell asleep…" Remus cut in.

"I know." Sirius interjected. "That's not the point. Seeing you in someone else's arms, it tore me up inside. I felt like I couldn't breath, like maybe my heart had stopped beating altogether. But when Lily mentioned it on the train I had to just laugh it off like it was nothing. I hate that."

He glanced around the room, laying a hand on the bed that they were sitting on.

"And I hate that when we go to bed tonight we'll be sleeping in separate beds." He continued. "I hate that when I wake up I'll be alone. I hate that. This lie is going to kill me, Remus, it's going to rip me apart."

"We talked about this." Remus reminded him, a hint of panic in his voice. "We decided…"

"We decided we'd talk about it later." Sirius finished, knowing Remus would rather forget that they never actually came to a decision. "But we never did."

"We can't tell them, Sirius." Remus said faintly.

"Why not?" Sirius asked. "You told Lily."

"That was different!" Remus exclaimed. "I was drunk, and Lily's… well, Lily. I knew that she would understand."

"So will James and Peter!" Sirius assured him.

"I can't take that chance." Remus whispered, his voice firm. He looked up at Sirius, willing him to understand. "You said that we were your family, right? Well, it's the same for me. I can't lose James and Peter, Sirius. I know what it's like to be all alone and I can't do that again."

"You won't be alone." Sirius told him, his voice filled with emotion. "You'll have me. No matter what, you'll always have me."

"I know. But we just can't." Remus replied, sadly, looking away from him. "I'm sorry, Sirius. We just can't tell them."

Just then, the door opened, and James and Peter came in, still laughing from something that had happened downstairs.

"You guys missed it!" James informed them, collapsing onto his bed and pulling off his shoes.

"It was brilliant!" Peter added, seated on his own bed.

"What happened?" Sirius asked, trying to muster up some fake enthusiasm for their story.

As Peter and James related their story to Sirius amid bursts of laughter, Remus quickly changed into his bedclothes and slipped under his sheets, pulling the curtains closed around him.

He lay back on his pillow staring at the ceiling, trying to fall asleep, but really just picturing the hurt look on Sirius' face. He didn't want to do anything to hurt Sirius. But the truth was, he couldn't handle it if people (especially his friends) thought he was any more of a freak then they already did. He knew all about secrets, and as far a he was concerned, some secrets had to stay secrets forever. It was the only way he knew how to live.

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There you have it, chapter three! You know you want to review. All the cool kids are doing it.

Next chapter… Playah!Sirius? Oh no. Plus Whipped!James is fast becoming Blind!James. He can't seem to see what's happening right it front of him.


	4. Necessary Lies

**A/N: **Reviews make me hot. **marauders4 **– Well, Sirius is a boy and boys can be very stupid sometimes. :) **Jenny (****Miss JaD)** – I know exactly what you mean, sugar. But I don't know if you'll still feel sorry for Sirius after this chapter… **Rebellover** – Teehee. Well, some people can be a bit daft. And I wouldn't be too sure that Remus' fears aren't founded. James likes things the way he's used to. **WhiteRose101** – Why, thanks, m'dear! I'm glad you like.

**Disclaimer: **Just look at my car. I so obviously do not own Harry Potter. If I did, I'd look into one of those fancy cars that actually start every time you turn the key.

**Warning:** If you made it past the last scene of the first chapter, I'm not sure much else could shock you…

**Rating:** T – For boys making out with each other, cursing, etc, etc.

Alright… shortest chapter so far. But it won't disappoint, I promise!

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**Chapter Four: Necessary Lies**

James was starting to worry about his best friend. They'd been in school for nearly two months and yet, as far as he could tell, Sirius hadn't been on a single date since they arrived. He hadn't woken up to find any half dressed girls slipping out of the room before sunrise or found Sirius sneaking back into the room still dressed from the day before, looking extremely pleased with himself. Even the last Hogsmeade trip, he had spent most of the day hanging around with Remus. Sirius had never hit a dry spell that lasted this long before. In fact, James couldn't remember the last time Sirius had had a dry spell _at all_. He had to do something.

"Oy! Sirius!" James called out, jogging a bit to catch up with Sirius and Remus as they walked out by the lake.

Sirius and Remus stopped and waited for him to reach them. Remus looked faintly flushed, as if embarrassed about something.

"What's up, mate?" Sirius asked, curious why James was chasing him down.

"I've got great news!" James announced, once he had caught his breath.

"Well, don't keep us in suspense then!" Sirius exclaimed.

"I got you a date with Louise Williams!" James informed him, smiling broadly.

Sirius shot a glance at Remus, a slightly bemused expression on his face. Remus looked as though he might be sick. Sirius cleared his throat. It almost seemed to James as though he was trying not to laugh.

"I asked Louise to go out with me several times last year." He recalled. "She always turned me down. Heard some things about my reputation, apparently. Evans and her big mouth, no doubt."

"Yeah, well, she's always had a soft spot for me," James said smugly, ignoring the jibe at his girlfriend, "and I talked you up a bit as I helped her with her potions assignment the other day."

"Not that I'm not grateful, mate. But why the sudden need to fix me up?" Sirius asked.

"You have to admit you haven't been up to your usual quota." James answered. Taking Sirius' lack of response as hesitation, he turned to Remus for reinforcement. "Come on, Moony. Back me up here. Don't you think he should go out with her? At least one date?"

Remus looked as though he was extremely uncomfortable with this entire conversation. He blinked up at James in surprise at being addressed directly.

"Oh!" He stuttered out after a moment, realizing the question wasn't rhetorical. "I… erm… well, I dunno. I suppose it's up to Sirius."

James rolled his eyes.

"Some help you are, Moony." He offered sarcastically.

Sirius grinned.

"Look, James, I appreciate it, but no thanks." He said, laughing slightly at James' incredulous expression. "I've got other plans in mind for this year. Not everything is about girls, you know."

At this statement, James blanched. He looked at Sirius as though he had just sprouted horns. What was he trying to say? Sirius Black couldn't really be taking a vow of abstinence, could he? That would just be… wrong.

Sirius shook his head, still laughing. He and Remus resumed their stroll, leaving James standing by the lake, wondering what the hell had happened to his best friend.

He wandered back to the common room and found Lily studying, several books strewn out over the table in front of her. He took a seat beside her with a heavy sigh.

"I don't get it." He muttered sullenly.

"Don't get what?" Lily asked.

She didn't even glance up from the book that she was in the process of both highlighting and color coding.

"Sirius!" James exclaimed. "He hasn't been on a date in over two months and when I go to great trouble to get him a date he turns it down! I actually spent two hours istudying/i with Louise to get her to the point where she was even open to the idea! But do I get a thank you? No!"

"Oh honestly, James!" Lily burst out in frustration, snapping the book closed and gathering it up with the rest of her things. "Sometimes I think you are the most dimwitted fool I have ever met!"

With that she stomped off to the girls' dorms, leaving James with a rather startled expression etched across his features.

"Wait, Lily!" He called out to her in utter confusion. "What did I say?"

Meanwhile, Remus and Sirius were still enjoying the late afternoon down on the grounds.

"Poor Prongs," Sirius laughed, "asking you to convince me to go out with Louise without even realizing the irony! You know how he loves good irony."

Remus managed a half-grin in reply.

They had just passed a large old oak tree and before Remus knew what was happening, Sirius had grabbed him by the collar and pushed him up against the trunk, kissing him fiercely.

"Too bad I'm already seeing someone." He whispered huskily, before returning to the kiss.

A twig snapped somewhere behind them, jolting Remus back to reality. He pushed Sirius off of him rather harshly, glancing around the tree in a panic.

"It's just a squirrel, Moony." Sirius said with a laugh.

"What were you doing?" Remus demanded, apparently not finding the situation quite as humorous as Sirius.

"I thought that was pretty obvious." Sirius replied softly, playfully. He desperately wanted to keep this from turning into another fight.

"Anyone could have seen us!" Remus hissed, clearly upset.

Sirius sighed.

"Sorry," he muttered, rather sarcastically, "sorry I tried to kiss you. Let's just forget it, okay?"

"You don't care if anyone sees us, do you?" Remus accused.

"You know what? No. I don't." Sirius admitted, resigning himself to the fact that this was going to turn into a fight at this point no matter what he said.

"Well, that's just great." Remus muttered sarcastically.

"Well, I'm sick of this shit!" Sirius exclaimed in frustration. "I'm never allowed to touch you unless we're behind closed doors where no one could possibly see us. I mean, God, Remus, we haven't had sex since we got back to school!"

"I know." Remus said quietly, his gaze fixed on the ground.

After a moment, he lifted his gaze to Sirius'.

"What do you want from me?" He asked, the pain evident in his voice. "Do you think it's easy for me, not being with you? That I didn't want to kiss you just then? That it doesn't drive me crazy sitting next to you in class every day, sleeping in the same room with you at night?"

He took a breath, pacing the short space in front of the tree as he spoke.

"You're to one who started this, Sirius!" He found himself ranting. "You did this to me! I was fine with the way things were. For the first time in my life I had friends. I was happy. I felt like I belonged. And then you just come in and turn everything around. I mean, what do you want from me? What do you want from me, Sirius!"

Sirius took an involuntary step back during Remus' outburst, not believing what he was hearing.

_He was ruining Remus' life_. The realization hit him like a heavy blow to the chest. Remus' accusation, _"You did this to me!"_ echoed in his head, over and over, like a broken record.

When Sirius looked back up at Remus, his countenance was completely changed. His jaw was set, his face expressionless, and he'd decided what he needed to do to fix everything.

"This isn't working for me anymore." He said flatly.

Remus blinked up at him in surprise.

"What are you trying to say?" He asked, a soft tremor in his voice.

"Look, it was fun for awhile," Sirius answered coldly, "but let's not make this into something it's not. It was just an experiment – a summer fling. I just wanted to try something new. The only reason I kept it going this long is that you're my friend and I didn't want to hurt you. But now that I know this situation isn't working out for you either, I can finally tell you the truth."

Remus looked on the verge of tears.

"You can't mean that!" He said desperately. "I mean… we… you, you said you loved me."

"Well, I lied." Sirius said softly, not meeting his eye. "Come on, Moony. How many girls do you think I've whispered that to before? It's just something you say. It doesn't mean anything."

Remus choked back a sob, listening to Sirius' harsh words.

"I should go." Sirius said, turning his back on Remus and walking back up to the castle.

"Wait!" Remus called out, but Sirius ignored him.

He closed his eyes to try to block out the image of the pain etched across Remus' face, but that only made the sounds of his quiet sobs more clear.

Somehow, he made it back to the Gryffindor common room. He was planning to head straight to the dorm, but he saw James sitting in the corner and suddenly an idea came to him. He made his way over to where his best friend was seated.

"Listen, mate," James said when he saw him approaching, "I don't know if you and Lily both had the same crazy potion poured into your pumpkin juice this morning, but…"

"I'll do it." Sirius cut him off, before he could continue.

"What?" James asked, not realizing what Sirius was referring to.

"The date." Sirius clarified. "With Louise. I'll do it."

James brightened at once.

"Excellent!" He replied cheerfully. "I'll get it all set up!"

Sirius nodded and continued out of the common room and up to the dorm. As soon as he entered the room, with the door closed behind him, he couldn't hold himself together anymore. He slumped down against the wall and burst into silent tears.

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Well, that's chapter four! You know, I used to know this guy, Jimmy, who would read fics all the time but never review. He got hit by a bus. I'm just saying.

Chapter five… Greasy!Snivellus finally makes an appearance! And Moronic!Sirius digs himself into an even deeper hole…


	5. Revelations

**A/N: **I heart my reviewers. **black's crystal** – Drama is the food of love. Isn't there a saying like that? But, I'm sure our boys will figure it all out soon enough. **the silent scene** – Thanks, sugar. I'm afraid things don't get too much better for Remus this chapter, though. **Apus-Equuleus** – Oh, don't worry. I can never let my characters suffer for _too_ long. :) **Jenny (Miss JaD)** – Yes, I agree, Sirius is not making things easier for anyone. And Remus, well, Remus has no idea what he wants. As for your last comment… I've always been a firm believer that the best part of breaking up is the make up sex. :) So just hold on to your socks for the next chapter.

**Disclaimer: **I'm just a nerdy eighteen year old girl from Nebraska who sits in her room writing stories because her life is not that interesting. (i.e. I don't own Harry Potter.)

**Warning:** The pairing is, as always, boy/boy. Not so much in this chapter, but still implied slash all over the place.

**Rating:** T – For some swearing, sexual innuendo, smoking, and knowing me probably other offensive material that I'm too desensitized to notice anymore.

Okay, I know a lot of authors (and HP-Lexicon) place 'The Prank' in the 6th year. But I'm going to put it here in 7th year. So sue me.

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**Chapter Five: Revelations**

Two weeks had passed and Remus was slowly falling apart. He spent most of his time these days lying in bed pretending to be asleep. Sometimes he didn't even get up in the morning to go to class. Remus had hardly ever missed class before. In fact, except for a few times after particularly bad transformations, Remus had never missed a class in seven years. Now suddenly, he was missing days at a time. Even James had to take notice. Something was going on – he just had no idea what.

"I think something is wrong with Remus." James informed Sirius, as they made their way back to the common room from Potions. "That's the third class he's missed in the past two days."

He lowered his voice slightly before adding, "I know the full moon's tonight, but this has been going on for days now. He's not usually this bad beforehand – only after."

Sirius shrugged, seemingly unconcerned.

"Can we talk about it later?" He asked. "I'm supposed to be meeting Louise."

Sure enough, Louise had just come down from the girls' dorms, a couple of books cradled in her arms. She spotted the boys and made her way over. With a glance at Sirius, James took the hint and continued on to the dorms alone.

"Hey, Louise." Sirius greeted her, giving his trademark grin. "You ready to go?"

"Actually, I can't, sorry." Louise said, fidgeting with her books nervously.

"Why not?" Sirius asked, eyebrow raised.

"Look, I know what James said," she told him, "but I talked to Lily, and…"

"Lily." Sirius repeated, understanding suddenly dawning on him.

"I just don't think it would be a good idea." Louise continued. She clutched her books a bit tighter and took off out the door, as if she couldn't get away from Sirius fast enough.

Sirius stood, dumfounded, for a few moments before noticing Lily seated in one of the comfortable arm chairs near the fire.

"You told her about Remus, didn't you?" Sirius accused in a harsh whisper, plopping down in the armchair across from her and jarring her out of her studies. "You told her I'm gay!"

"Things didn't work out with Louise?" Lily asked with fake sympathy, not able to hide a slight smirk.

"Damnit, Lily! This isn't your business!" Sirius told her fiercely. "Remus and I broke up, okay? That tends to happen occasionally. He'll get over it."

"He'll get over it?" Lily repeated with disgust. "Like you've gotten over it? God, Sirius, you're such a coward! Just admit it – you've never felt this way about anyone before and it scares you. That's why you really broke up with him, isn't it?"

"Is that what he told you?" Sirius asked.

"No, that's what I can see." Lily answered. "You broke Remus' heart because you were afraid he was going to break yours. Well, fine. As far as I'm concerned he's better off without you. But if you think I'm about to let you screw – figuratively or otherwise – any more of my friends, you're out of your mind."

With that, she closed her book and stood up, making her way towards the portrait hole. She stopped for a moment when she was directly behind Sirius' chair and then leaned down so her lips were almost pressed to his ear.

"Oh, and by the way, I didn't tell her you were gay. I told her you had a nasty case of genital herpes." She whispered viciously. "It should be all over the school by now, actually. So, good luck finding a new _playmate_ to help you get over Remus."

And before Sirius could even react, she was gone.

Upstairs, James wasn't having much better luck with Remus.

"You missed Potions." He informed his friend unnecessarily, taking a seat on the edge of his bed.

The only reply was a muffled muttering which sounded vaguely like, "Go away."

James pulled the covers away from Remus, earning him a string of inventive curses.

"What?" Remus demanded, sitting up to try to recover his blankets.

"I'm just worried about you, mate." James told him sincerely, holding the covers just out of reach. "We all are."

Remus snorted, giving up on the blankets and laying back down without them.

"Yeah right." He muttered.

"We are!" James insisted. "I know tonight's the full moon, but… I mean, that's not what this is about, is it?"

"You guys aren't coming tonight." Remus said suddenly, sitting up once more as if propelled by the impact of his statement.

"What do you mean we aren't coming?" James asked incredulously. "Of course we're coming."

"No." Remus repeated firmly. "I don't want you to. Not tonight."

"Why?" James returned, suspiciously.

"I just don't, okay." Remus answered shortly. Seeing that James wasn't going to leave him alone, he dragged himself out of bed and pulled on some robes.

"I'm going to go to the library until it's time." He announced. He grabbed some books and left the room before James could protest.

He came down the stairs and went out through the common room without even glancing at Sirius, who was still sitting in the corner, rather shell-shocked. James followed soon after, but instead of chasing after Remus, he took a seat next to Sirius.

It seemed to him lately that no one was the way they were supposed to be. He wanted desperately for things to go back to normal – but he wasn't sure if he even knew what that meant anymore.

"He's not going to let us transform with him tonight." He told Sirius in a voice that suggested he still didn't quite believe it himself.

This, finally, seemed to get Sirius' attention.

"He doesn't have a choice." He told James, matter-of-factly.

"I don't know." James replied, shaking his head. "He seemed pretty firm about it. Almost like he was pissed off at us about something. But I can't think of anything I've done. What about you?"

Sirius, of course, knew full well who Remus was angry at, and it wasn't James.

"He's just PMS-ing." Sirius replied with a shrug, using the old joke of Remus' condition being similar to women's monthly cycles.

"I think it's more than that." James insisted. "You should try to talk to him."

"Why me?" Sirius asked.

"Because I already tried." James replied. "Besides, you guys lived together all summer. You probably know him better than I do. He'll listen to you."

Sirius mumbled something that sounded like, "I doubt it."

But to James he merely said, "Fine. I'll try."

Leaving the common room, however, he had no intention of doing as he promised. The last thing he wanted to do was talk to Remus. He could hardly stand to be in the same room with Remus, before it hurt to breathe. He thought if he could just get far enough away, he could go back to the way things were before this summer. Back to screwing a different girl every week and pretending that he wasn't thinking about Remus every second of every day. He'd managed it for two years, after all. But it was different now. Now it wasn't just a fantasy, he actually knew what it was like to be with Remus.

He sighed, deciding to head out to the grounds for a walk to clear his head. He patted his robes, and smiled in relief to feel the outline of a pack of cigarettes. As soon as he was out of the castle, he found his favorite tree out by the lake, and leaned against the back of it, lighting a cigarette with a muttered word and point of his wand.

After a moment, he heard the sounds of footsteps approaching. He quickly threw the cigarette to the ground and stamped it out, turning to see who had found him.

"Those things will kill you, you know." The person informed him, stepping out from behind the tree, in the growing dusk.

It was Sirius' least favorite person in the world, with the possible exception of his mother: Severus Snape. Or Snivellus, as he affectionately referred to him.

"What the hell are you doing out here?" Sirius demanded, pissed that he'd just ruined a perfectly good cigarette for nothing.

"If you must know, I'm checking on a theory of mine." Severus told him cryptically, but in a tone that suggested he was dying for Sirius to ask him what his theory was.

"A theory about what?" Sirius asked, deciding to play along for the moment. He pulled out another cigarette and lit it, taking a deep drag and blowing the smoke in Severus' face.

"Your friend Remus." Severus answered, coughing a bit as he tried to wave the smoke past him. "You see, my theory is that any minute now, he'll be coming out here to disappear again, like he does every month. Only this time, I'm going to see where he's going."

Sirius gave a dry laugh.

"You're a complete git, Snivellus." He offered as reply.

Severus sneered at Sirius' apparent disbelief.

"You know I'm right." He said, his voice rising a few notches. "You're just trying to protect him! Well, I'm going to find out your big secret tonight, Black. And then we'll see who's laughing."

As if on cue, two figures emerged from the castle and disappeared around the edge of the forest. From their distance, it was hard to make out who the figures were or where exactly they had gone. Severus, distracted by Sirius, didn't look up until it was too late. He couldn't see in which direction they had disappeared.

"That was them!" He hissed, outraged at his blown chance.

Sirius smirked.

"Better luck next time." He consoled Severus with fake sympathy.

"I… you…" Severus spat in rage. "You four think you're so much better than everyone! But I know you're hiding something. You just wait, because I'll find out what it is eventually. And then I'll expose you all for the frauds you are."

"And then we'll be shunned?" Sirius guessed with a smirk, taking another drag on the cigarette. "Hate to break it to you Snivellus, but everyone loves us. No one is going to pay any attention to whatever lame story you come up with."

"I'll get proof." Severus shot back, scowling at Sirius' indifference. "Whatever Remus is up to, it must be something big or you all wouldn't be going to such lengths to cover it up. Why don't you just tell me now and save me the trouble? Come on Black, where is your boyfriend going?"

Something inside Sirius snapped. He knew Severus had only spoke of Remus as his boyfriend to taunt him, but he had no idea that he was hitting a very sensitive nerve. _That's what he should be! _Sirius thought bitterly. Here he was, miserable, standing outside in the cold with his least favorite person, and Severus got to refer to Remus as his boyfriend when he himself hadn't be able to call him that? It was too much.

"You know what? Sure, I'll tell you." He replied, without really thinking about what he was doing. "It's the Whomping Willow. There's a passage underneath it. You just have to press the knot with a stick to make it go calm."

Severus eyed Sirius suspiciously.

"You're lying." He accused.

"Whatever." Sirius said with a shrug. He threw his second cigarette on the ground and stamped it out with the heel of his shoe. Then he simply strolled off back up the castle, leaving Severus behind to think over what he'd said. He smirked vengefully as he made his way back to the Gryffindor common. Severus would check it out – there was no doubt in his mind. _Meeting a fully grown werewolf ought to teach him to stick his nose where it doesn't belong_, he thought with a slight laugh.

James and Peter, however, didn't seem to find the situation quite as funny.

"You did what?" James practically screamed as Sirius flopped down on the couch in the common room after relaying the conversation between he and Severus.

"Relax, James." Sirius said. "The stupid git was begging for it. I had to teach him a lesson. It's called 'be careful what you wish for'."

"What about Remus?" Peter asked quietly, giving Sirius a look that he had never given him before – it seemed to be a mixture of disbelief and disgust.

Sirius blinked up at him in surprise, partly because of the look he was getting and partly because of the question itself.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

James was hurriedly throwing on his cloak and boots.

"He means, what if Remus kills him?" He informed Sirius, shooting him another look of disgust.

Sirius blanched, not having even considered the possibility.

"Snape wouldn't be that stupid." He said, not quite able to keep the panic out of his voice. "He'll just be scared! Nothing will actually happen…"

"You better hope it doesn't." James cut him off. He had finished tying his bootlaces and was now swiftly headed towards the door.

"I swear, Sirius," he called over his shoulder before he disappeared out through the portrait hole, "it isn't 'till times like these that I remember you're a Black."

Sirius was taken aback by the harshness of James' words. He glanced up at Peter, but the other boy wouldn't meet his gaze. The utter stupidity of his actions was finally starting to sink in. He thought of Remus waking up tomorrow to be told that he'd murdered another student the night before. It would kill him.

_What have I done?_ Sirius thought, running a hand through his hair. He lifted his head towards the ceiling in silent prayer. _Oh please, God, don't let anything happen to Remus. Please let James get there in time_.

He slumped back on the couch, his eyes welling up with frustrated tears. All he could do now was wait.

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And there's chapter five! The more reviews I get the sooner I'll post the next chapter, which may or may not include steamy hawt make up sex. (And by 'may or may not' I mean 'prepare for slashy smut'.)

Also next chapter… Sirius attempts to make things right. And Clueless!James finally gets let in on what's really going on between his best friends…


	6. Revelations 2

**A/N: **Wow. Throw in a mention of hawt sex and watch the reviews pour in! LOL. **curlsandcandy23** – I'm glad that you like it, sugar. :) **Lykaios Nyx** – Thank you! Here's your update. **ShaMak** – I hadn't noticed, but it doesn't really surprise me. And I did check out your story, good beginning. **Jenny (****Miss JaD)** – LOL! I'm so glad you liked Lily's interference, that was my favorite scene to write! I love Lily. And I'm glad you liked my version of 'The Prank'. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. :) I used a French word in the title! Aren't you proud of me? **California smells funny** – Thanks, hun. I like writing emotional Sirius. **Audrey (****dedetomkiewicz)** – Thanks, darlin'. Here's your update. **Rebellover** – LOL. "You make me love to hate them". That's awesome. I hope the reunion doesn't disappoint. By the way, there's this really good Czech musical called 'Rebelove' and your pen name always makes me think of that. LOL. You probably didn't need to know that, but oh well. **Thestril** – I'm sorry I kept you from getting sleep! But I'm really glad you like the story so much! Actually, though, _"Now, yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizard as I ever knew. Head boy an' girl at Hogwarts in their day!"_ (Hagrid, Ch 4, HP & SS). So that's how I got James being head boy. **DragonChild-Malfoy** – Pay me? Really? How much? LOL. Here's your update, sugar.

**Disclaimer: **Own Harry Potter, I do not.

**Warning:** None. Oh, except for the mad hawt boy on boy sex. Did I forget to mention that? Oops. Okay, well, um, it's SLASH. How's that?

**Rating:** M – As much as I've tried to avoid sex in this story, well, that wouldn't be very realistic would it? Once again, nice bold warning markers if you'd like to skim over it.

Another shorter one. But somehow I don't think you guys will mind. ;)

Also, I think I have been using the term 'screw' for most of this story. Very American of me, I just realized. So in this chapter I think I start using 'shag' instead. Sorry if my writing seems inconsistent in those kind of respects. I'm not British and I'm not very good at pretending I am.

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**Chapter Six: Revelations (Part Deux)**

Remus watched Dumbledore's retreating form from his position lying on a bed in the hospital wing. He still couldn't quite wrap his mind around what he had been told. Sirius had told Snape. He just couldn't believe it. His very life depended on his ability to keep his lycanthropy a secret and Sirius was just going around telling random Slytherins? Did he really hate him _that_ much?

As he was trying to process everything Dumbledore had told him, the door opened slightly, revealing the bespeckled head of one James Potter. Seeing Remus was awake, he cautiously stepped inside, looking rather nervous for some reason. Remus realized why a moment later when he was followed by Sirius.

"How you feeling, mate?" James asked, with the wary tone of someone who's testing the waters before taking the plunge.

"Pretty much the same as always." Remus answered faintly, pointedly avoiding Sirius' gaze.

"Listen, Remus, I…" Sirius began, his voice filled with emotion.

"Don't." Remus cut him off, softly. "Please, just don't. I don't have the energy."

Sirius blinked a few times and opened his mouth as if to speak but then changed his mind. Instead, he merely turned around and headed for the door, leaving Remus and James alone in uncomfortable silence. James looked at the door in uncertainty.

"Go ahead." Remus told him. "Go after him."

James stood in silent debate for another moment, then nodded and made for the door.

"You know," he said, turning back for a second in the doorway, "he really feels terrible about what happened. You know how Sirius gets, sometimes he just doesn't think things through before he jumps into them."

"I know." Remus replied with a sigh.

_Like jumping into to bed with me_, he added silently, _I bet he feels terrible about that decision too._

James gave him a last sympathetic smile and then disappeared out the door.

It took him almost an hour, but he finally managed to find Sirius slumped against an old oak down by the lake.

"Hey." James greeted him.

When there was no reply, he took a seat next to Sirius. Sirius didn't even try to hide his tears. He was too far gone.

"I know Moony is upset," James began tentatively, after a moment, "but he'll get over it. Just give him some time."

"You don't understand!" Sirius burst out in a half-sob.

"No, I don't." James agreed, looking at his friend in utter confusion. "Why don't you explain it to me?"

"I can't." Sirius said softly, almost pleading.

"You made a mistake, mate. It was stupid, sure. But no one got hurt. Remus is okay. I'm okay. Hell, even Snivellus is okay. So what's your problem? You're worried Remus won't forgive you?" He asked.

"He won't." Sirius replied without hesitation.

James sighed.

"He feels betrayed. Who wouldn't? But he'll get over it." He said.

"You don't understand." Sirius repeated once again, shaking his head.

He looked up at James for the first time since he had sat down.

"I'm in love with him, Prongs." He admitted, almost inaudibly.

James was understandably taken aback.

"You're what?" He asked, hoping he had somehow misunderstood.

"You heard what I said." Sirius returned, looking back down at the ground.

"But you can't be… gay." James said, choking slightly on the last word. "You've had more girls in your bed than any other bloke I know."

"Yeah, well, you said yourself I hit a dry spell this year." Sirius muttered. "You just didn't realize it was because Remus and I have been together since the beginning of summer."

"Bloody hell." James breather. "Since the beginning of summer? And you were living together! Oh God. That means all summer you were… Oh God."

"Well it doesn't matter anymore." Sirius cut in, bitterly. "I fucked everything up."

"You mean this thing with Snape?" James asked, trying to focus on the conversation at hand.

"No. Even before that." Sirius told him, wiping away at his frustrated tears. "It got too hard, lying to everyone. I thought it would be easier to just end it. But it wasn't. It was a hundred times worse."

Sirius broke off into another dry sob. James had absolutely no idea what to do. He'd never been so uncomfortable in all his life.

"I… erm… I just remembered I'm supposed to be meeting Lily." He stuttered after a moment, desperately looking for a way to extricate himself from this situation.

When there was no response from Sirius, he stood up and, after a few minutes of awkward hesitation, he set off back to the castle.

Sirius couldn't blame him really. He hadn't meant to dump everything on him at once like that. James was a creature of comfort. He had to be introduced to change slowly – given time to adjust. Besides, what did he really expect James to say? The way he was feeling, there wasn't anything anyone could say to make him feel better except Remus – and that wasn't going to happen.

But he couldn't just sit there feeling sorry for himself either. He needed to apologize. Even if Remus didn't want to listen, he still had things that needed to be said. He stood up, making his mind to go back and see Remus. He rubbed his eyes with the sleeve of his cloak and took a deep breath. He was going to make things right again. No matter what.

When he reached Remus' room, he took another deep breath before pushing open the door and stepping inside. Remus was in the same position as he had left him, lying on a hospital bed towards the center of the room. He glanced up when Sirius entered the room. He didn't exactly look thrilled to see him.

"I know you don't want to talk to me." Sirius said quickly, before Remus could tell him to leave. "But the way I figure it, you're stuck in that bed. So there's nothing you can do except hear me out. I don't expect you to forgive me. In fact, I'm not even asking you to. I just need you to listen."

Remus was silent for a moment, then he nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry." Sirius began simply, taking a step towards the bed. "And not just for this stupid stunt with Snape. For everything. I never should have broken up with you."

"Then why did you?" Remus asked softly.

"I was scared." Sirius answered truthfully. "And I was frustrated. You not wanting to tell anyone about us made me feel like you were rejecting me, like you didn't love me the same way that I love you."

"You were the one that said you didn't love me." Remus reminded him, tears in his eyes.

"I know." Sirius said, hanging his head. "I just… I don't know. I guess I thought that if you didn't think I loved you, it would be easier for you to move on somehow. I know it sounds stupid now. But the way you were talking… you made it sound like you stumbled into this without meaning to and you just didn't know how to get out. I guess I thought I was fixing everything."

"That _does_ sound stupid." Remus offered, but his expression had softened somewhat.

After a brief moment, however, his face hardened once again.

"So what in the world possessed you to tell Snape?" He questioned bitterly.

"I don't know." Sirius answered. "I was upset, he was bugging me… I mean, he just kept talking about you and finding out your secret and… I don't know. I thought it would be funny."

"Oh yeah, real hilarious, Padfoot." Remus returned sarcastically.

"I know. I'm sorry." Sirius said sincerely.

He moved closer to Remus, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. He reached a hand out to Remus' face, but Remus pulled away from his grasp.

"It's not that easy, Sirius." He said, looking away. "You can't just day you're sorry and make everything okay again. You really hurt me." He stopped abruptly, his voice breaking.

"I trusted you completely." He continued after a moment. "With my biggest secret – with my heart, even. And you betrayed that trust. How am I supposed to just forgive that?"

"Just tell me what I can do to make it right." Sirius begged, his eyes brimming with tears. "I'll do anything. Please. I love you."

He leaned in towards Remus once more.

"I love you." He whispered softly.

He braced his hands against the headboard of the bed, on either side of Remus, pinning the other boy beneath him.

"Don't." Remus breathed.

But Sirius didn't listen. He closed the distance between them and captured Remus' mouth in a passionate kiss. Almost against his will, Remus felt himself return the kiss with equal passion, moaning softly as they finally parted.

"I love you." Sirius repeated once again, his breath already beginning to sound heavy.

He began to undo the buttons on Remus shirt, exploring the boy's chest with his hands as he kissed him again. Remus attempted half-heartedly to push him off, but he was helpless from the effects of the recent full moon and the weight of Sirius' body on top of his.

"Sirius. Please." He moaned, making a final attempt remove himself from Sirius' grasp.

**Here comes the 'M' Rating…**

He stopped suddenly, however, when he felt Sirius' hand slide below the waistband of his pants, sliding further down and running a tentative hand along Remus' hard shaft. He kissed Remus harder this time, beginning to move his hand back and forth along Remus' erection. Remus gasped as Sirius picked up the pace, kissing the side of his neck up to his earlobe.

"I love you." He whispered again, nibbling slightly on Remus' earlobe.

Remus definitely wasn't struggling anymore. Sensing from his sharp intake of breath that he was near climax, Sirius removed his hand. A slight growl erupted from Remus' throat at this loss of contact. Sirius smiled, kissing the boy lightly on the lips before moving lower, trailing kisses along his chest and finally to the tip of his cock. Then he took the whole thing into his mouth sucking once, sharply, eliciting a scream of ecstasy from Remus as the warm juice spilled out of him into Sirius' mouth.

**Okay, safe again.**

Remus fell back against the headboard with a sigh of pleasure. Sirius leaned back as well, snuggling into Remus' chest.

"Forgive me?" Sirius murmured into Remus' chest.

Remus smiled despite himself, enjoying the feeling of being in Sirius arms for the first time since summer.

"Fine." He said with an exaggerated sigh.

He glanced down at Sirius with a slight smirk.

"Besides," he added, "it's my turn."

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Well, that's chapter six! So, um, please review! Flattery will get you everywhere with me. And I do mean _everywhere_. ;)

Chapter seven… Lily gets an eyeful. Plus James has trouble coming to terms with his recent revelation…


	7. Consequences

**A/N: **Goodness. I have never had this many reviews in my life. I heart you all like nothing else. **Lykaios Nyx** – Thanks! And James, well, he just needs some time to adjust. **Black's Crystal** – Thanks, sugar. LOL. **California smells funny** – Thank you. And I do try to get updates ASAP. I know this one took a bit longer than usual. **Tay1233** – TAYLER! teehee. No, _you're_ mad hawt love. **SiriRemy** – Isn't it though? If only there had been chocolate involved somehow… **Pforte** – Thank you! I do feel that dialogue is probably my strong suit. Other people have commented that Remus forgives too easily, but you'll see in this chapter, he might have gotten carried away in the moment, but he's not quite over it. **harrypotterislife** – Katrina! LOL. It is much dirtier, isn't it? But much better, too. :) **Jenny (****Miss JaD)** – Aww. I like that Sirius only cries for Moony, too. And your reviews aren't bad at all, sugar. I understand you 100 percent. **Sandra (****sanni)** – Thanks, hun! Here's your update. **ShaMak** – "Sex sells" HA! I love that. And you are too sweet, darlin'. **Appledagger**– Radtacular is my new favorite word of all creation. And here's your update, dude. LOL. **Tyleet27** – Ah! I love BTSM! Stupid me, I forgot to review, but I did now! And yes, Remus/Sirius is definitely my new fanfiction obsession. **Jack (****All Play No Work)** – Gr. I hate Remus/Tonks. I'm glad you like my idea for how they got together! **KawaiiMegami86**– LOL! I'm sure Lily would gladly switch places with you. **KatanaKira**– Maybe this chapter you'll see that Remus didn't quite forgive Sirius as completely as he thought. Oh, and "my turn" was just an attempt at sexual innuendo on my part. LOL. Apparently not very _good_ sexual innuendo, but oh well. :) **mintypepperoni** – Three reviews at once! Thank you so much! I'm glad you think everyone seems in character. **Thestril** – Ugh, yeah. With a series this long there's always incontinuity, I suppose. I prefer to just pick and choose which parts really happened. LOL. Remus/Tonks? Not in my version. :) **molloch** – Hey, thanks! I like it when they're back together too. **Baka.Monkey.13** – Brea! Hey, lovah! Thanks for the review! **rebellover** – "every other fic has him be like yay ur gay go sirius! Like a peppy gay activist" Ugh, I know! It's so unrealistic. I have no problem with gay people, but if one of my BEST FRIENDS suddenly told me they were gay, I would need some time to get used to it. I probably wouldn't be quite as big a git as James. But, still. **DragonChild-Malfoy** – Ooh, a pocket watch, nice! Okay, okay, here's another chapter. :) **N. Beresford** – Thanks, sugar. As I've said to some other reviews, Remus is not as okay with everything as he appears. **Captain Oz** – Oh! I didn't realize I was breaking any laws. Whoops. Well, thanks for the heads up. And thanks for the flattery! Always appreciated. :) **Twitch of Queenliness** – Thank you! Um, yeah, I know my warning markers aren't strictly necessary, but, I dunno. I just wanted to make it clear that this fic isn't just lemons, you know? There's a few sexual scenes, but it isn't the purpose of the story. Does that make sense? **JennytheSpam** – Thanks, hun! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint.

**Disclaimer: **Alas, I _still_ do not own Harry Potter. If I did, the fifth and sixth books would have gone quite a bit differently…

**Warning:** For those of you who inexplicably jumped to the seventh chapter without reading the first six, this story is SLASH. If you have read the last six chapters and somehow managed to miss that, you might want to consider the possibility that you are mentally challenged.

**Rating:** T – For Lily painting a wonderful mental picture of our favorite duo, plus swearing, etc

Meh. This chapter ended up a little more angsty than I meant it to. But the next chapter is the last and it ends happy, I promise. And this chapter is actually longer than last chapter, but it feels shorter, somehow…

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**Chapter Seven: Consequences**

_Oh my!_ Lily thought, backing away from the hospital wing door in shock. _Well, I guess they're back together._

She had a strong urge to just walk away, rather quickly. But with a heavy sigh, she turned back just long enough to cast a disillusionment spell on the bed that was groaning under the weight of the two boys.

Taking a moment to brace herself, she turned back to one last time to make sure the spell was working – but she was suddenly overcome with the feeling that she was supposed to be meeting with James right at that moment.

She headed off to towards the common room with a sigh of relief that the spell was effective. _Just because seeing Sirius' cock in Remus' mouth will haunt me for the rest of my life, doesn't mean I can't save others from the mental anguish_, she thought with a slight cringe as the portrait hole to Gryffindor tower swung open in front of her.

James was sitting in the common room as she had thought, but he looked rather upset about something.

"They're gay." He told her in utter disbelief as soon as she sat down.

Lily winced.

"You didn't just come from the hospital wing, did you?" She asked cautiously.

"No. Why?" James returned, eyebrow raised.

"Oh… erm… I just… How did you find out?" She asked, changing the subject.

"Sirius told me." James replied. "I found him out by the lake, crying about how Remus won't forgive him."

"And what did you say?" Lily asked, curiously.

"Nothing, really." James answered. "I came back up here."

"So, you just left him in the middle of an emotional breakdown?" Lily returned, rolling her eyes to demonstrate her opinion of this action. "Way to be his best mate, James."

"Well damn, Lily!" James exclaimed. "What was I supposed to do? It's bad enough when your mate starts crying all over you without finding out he's also been shagging another of your best friends. Another _male_ friend, mind you."

He ran a hand through his messy black hair in obvious agitation. Then he turned to Lily suddenly, giving her a sharp glance.

"Wait a minute. You don't seem very surprised about any of this." He finally realized.

Lily shrugged.

"I'm not." She admitted.

"You knew!" James practically shouted, drawing a few stares.

"Of course I knew." She responded calmly. "Remus told me."

"When?" James demanded.

"That first night when we visited their flat over the summer." She told him. "We were all drunk on firewhiskey and Remus and I ended up in bed together, remember?"

The look of intense loathing that crossed James' face told her that he did.

"Well, we spent most of the night talking." She continued. "Mostly about his new relationship."

"Did you at least try to talk him out of it?" He asked with a sigh.

"I think I told him he could do a lot better than Sirius, if that counts." She responded thoughtfully.

"And you didn't think to share any of this with me before now?" He asked, incredulously.

"Well, it's not really any of our business, is it?" Lily replied slowly.

"Not our business?" James repeated, his voice rising. "Not our busi – God, Lily! You don't think it's my business that my two best friends have probably been shagging in broom closets behind my back! I mean, they're both blokes, for God's sake! It's not natural! And I just don't understand how someone can be suddenly gay like that. Sirius has had more girls – I mean, he's shagged every girl in the school, practically! But now I'm supposed to accept that he suddenly fancies blokes?"

"It's probably not all that sudden, James. He's probably liked guys for a long time without admitting it to anyone, maybe not even to himself. Or maybe he doesn't even fancy boys, really. Maybe there's just something about Remus that…"

"Oh God!" James cut in, having not paid attention to a single word Lily had said. "They've both seen me naked!"

Lily put a hand over her mouth, trying in vain to stifle a laugh.

"No offense, love, but I don't think either of them is interested in you like that." She informed him as soberly as she could manage.

"Yes, but they're _gay_, Lily." He replied, carefully placing his emphasis as if explaining something to a child. "They like looking at other guys'… you know, guy bits."

"Oh honestly, James!" Lily burst out, completely frustrated with her boyfriend. "I can't talk to you about this is you're going to insist on acting like such a child."

She turned and made as if to go up to the girls' dorms, but she paused at the foot of the staircase, turning back to James.

"You know, Remus asked me – that same night, actually – he asked me why I finally said yes when you asked me out at the end of last year." She told him, softly. "And I didn't really have a good answer for him. But I've thought about it a lot since then and I decided it was because I had seen how much you'd changed, that you really did have a good heart buried under your arrogance and pride. But now, hearing you talk about your own friends like this… maybe I was wrong."

She gave James a searching look as if willing him to say something that would make things right again. But James was too startled to come up with a response, so Lily turned and headed up to her dorm, leaving James with more than just Sirius and Remus' relationship to think about. He slumped down into one of the overstuffed arm chairs, glaring into the fire as if it had caused all of these problems in his life.

He was still in that same position several hours later when the cover to the portrait hole swung open and Sirius entered, followed by Remus. Spotting him, Remus came over, sitting himself on the arm of the chair across from him. He failed to notice Sirius' worried glance.

"Well, looks like Madam Pomfrey decided let me off early for good behavior." Remus joked in greeting.

His voice seemed to snap James out of his apparent staring contest with the fireplace. He glanced up, took in Remus' seemingly new found good mood and his proximity to Sirius, and scowled sincerely.

"Are you two back together, then?" He asked, in a not altogether pleasant tone of voice.

Remus shot Sirius a rather startled glance. Sirius looked extremely guilty and uncomfortable.

"Erm…" He said uncertainly, cringing slightly at the look he was getting from Remus before turning his gaze back to James. "Well, we were until you asked. Now, I'm not so sure."

Neither James nor Remus seemed to find this statement particularly amusing. James stood up from his chair.

"Well, I suppose I'll leave you to it then." He muttered, moving towards the common room door.

"James!" Sirius called out, giving him a questioning look as he turned around.

Seeing Sirius' expression, James sighed.

"Had a fight with Lils." He offered up as an explanation for his attitude.

Sirius nodded.

"Wanna talk about it, mate?" He asked.

James shook his head.

"Nah. I'm just gonna go for a walk." He said.

He nodded to Remus in farewell, and then left out the portrait hole. Sirius turned back to Remus, his hands out in a gesture of apology.

"I know what you're going to say…" He began.

"You told him!" Remus burst out in a harsh whisper, cutting him off. "I can't believe this!"

He ran a hand through his hair, pacing the length of the couch in obvious agitation.

"Are you just running around telling all of my secrets? God, Sirius!" He continued. "You knew how I felt about this. And you saw how James was just now, that was exactly why I didn't want to tell him!"

"I know." Sirius said, pulling him down onto the couch so that they were both seated. "I didn't mean to tell him, it just happened. I was upset and I was rambling and it just came out. I'm sorry."

"I don't know why I trust you with anything." Remus said, pulling away from him, but not getting up completely. "You just can't keep your mouth shut about anything. 'Cause of you the whole Slytherin house probably knows about my condition."

Sirius looked up at him sharply.

"I thought you had forgiven me about Snape?" He said softly.

"Yeah, well, I'm starting to think maybe I let myself get a bit too caught up in the moment." Remus replied, blushing slightly.

"No one else in Slytherin knows except Snape." Sirius muttered, after a few moments of silence. "I made sure of it. I went to Regulus right after it happened."

Remus started slightly at this information.

"Regulus?" He repeated.

Sirius nodded in confirmation.

"I went to him right away and explained what happened." He said. "It took a bit of begging, but he promised me that if Snape even hinted towards what had happened, he would start rumors about Snape's instability and jealousy towards us. You know, discredit him from the inside. Then even if he said anything, no one would believe him. But he won't say anything, anyway. He wouldn't want to get on Dumbledore's bad side. Plus, Regulus has been authorized – by me, of course – to use violence if necessary. The 'make everyone think Snape is crazy' plan is just a last resort. It won't come to that."

Sirius knew he was babbling, but he couldn't help it. He wanted Remus to understand that he'd thought everything out, that he had a plan for everything. Remus tried to process what Sirius was saying, but he was still stuck on one particular detail.

"You went to Regulus?" He asked again.

"He already knew about you." Sirius reminded him, misinterpreting Remus' fixation.

"No, I know." Remus replied. "It's just… you… went to Regulus. You've never asked anyone in your family to help you with anything before. I'm just… surprised."

"Come on, Remus. After what I did?" Sirius shook his head. "I would have made a deal with the devil to make things right again."

He placed a hand under Remus' chin, forcing the other boy to look at him.

"I love you." He told him.

But Remus wasn't going to let Sirius kiss their problems away this time.

"I just don't know how I'm supposed to trust you." He said softly, pulling away from Sirius' grasp.

After a moment, he stood from the couch.

"I need some time." He muttered, avoiding Sirius' gaze.

Sirius looked up sharply.

"What do you mean?" He asked carefully.

"I don't know, I just… I'm going to go for a walk." Remus told him.

Before Sirius could say anything else, Remus disappeared out the portrait hole. Sirius slumped back into the couch, wondering how everything could turn around so fast.

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And there's chapter seven. Review, review! It makes me smile. :)

Last chapter… James has a heart to heart with Remus, and actually finds himself urging him to forgive Sirius. Also, more firewhiskey! Hazzah!


	8. Boyfriends

**A/N: **I love you guys x 2304930484545. Plus twelve.**N. Beresford** – Thanks, hun. I'm glad you like it! **MinervaEvenstar**– Five reviews at once! Wow. Thank you so much. And I'm glad you like my Regulus. I don't like it when he's villified. **Black's Crystal** – There is quite a bit of arguing in this fic, yeah? teehee. I call everyone sugar. :) **Captain Oz** – Yucky scotch. And thanks, darlin'. I'm so glad you like it. **Tyleet27** – "how does Peter fit into everything" LOL! So, you've noticed how I've completely ignored Peter for the last three chapters, eh? Yeah, I never know what to do with Peter so he usually slips through a fanfiction black hole. **scouser4life **– Why, thank you, sugar. **DragonChild-Malfoy** – Always a happy ending, promise! And don't worry, this won't be the last you hear of Remus and Sirius from me. **Jenny (****Miss JaD)** - Je suis désolé! J'ai oublié votre phrase française! I'll tell you what, I'll write a oneshot one of these days where James drinks some mystery potion and spends the rest of the story speaking French! LOL. **harrypotterislife** – Ah, Katrina! As I said on the other thread, don't worry, this won't be the last you see of our boys. **KawaiiMegami86**– Of course Lily is the only one who understands anything – she's the only GIRL! LOL. Boys are hopeless. **rebellover **– Thanks, honey. Glad you enjoyed the James/Lily convo. Hope you like the ending as well! **Lykaios Nyx** – Yay! You're the second person who's commented on Regulus. I just love him. He is my new favorite since the fifth/six books. **the silent scene** – A sad panda? LOL! I'm so glad you've liked this story so well. :) **Appledagger**– Yeah, angst is good in small doses. But I like things to end happy. LOL. **JennytheSpam** – Yeah, James is being childish, but he gets better this chapter. And, well, love is never easy is it? **mintypepperoni** – LOL! Everyone is very excited for the firewhiskey! I hope you enjoy this last chapter. Oh, and as to your second review, erm, remember that Remus alluded to it being "his turn"? Yeah, so they kept going, but only lucky Lily got to see. :) **Hpfan4life1313** – Wow. Thank you. I'm glad you've enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I hope this last chapter doesn't disappoint! **Jessica** – Well, damn. :) Thanks, sugar. **ljp** – Glad you liked how they got together. **Tayler **– Gah! It makes me so happy that you always come review on this version too! I heart you. Like woah. **Original Katie Bell** – Thanks. Yeah, the plot for this story is strictly the romance, mainly between Remus/Sirius but also slightly between Lily/James. There's no other over-arching storyline with Voldemort or anything, if that's what you were asking.

**Disclaimer: **They're not mine, okay? Stop rubbing it in.

**Warning:** Slash. Of the Remus/Sirius variety.

**Rating:** T – For language, slash, and lots and lots of firewhiskey.

This is for all my lovely reviewers. Y'all have been wonderful, and I hope you love this last chapter.

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**Chapter Eight: Boyfriends**

Lily was completely fed up with all of the men in her life. She couldn't believe the way her boyfriend was acting. And even Remus and Sirius! For all she knew, they had broken up again already. _Boys are hopeless!_ She thought as she lay sprawled out on her four poster bed, glaring up at the ceiling.

Eventually, she decided she wouldn't be able to avoid James forever, so she reluctantly lifted herself off of the bed and made her way down to the common room. James was no where in sight, though. She was about to take off looking for him when she noticed Sirius seated on the big couch in front of the fire, scowling at nothing in particular.

"What are you sulking about?" She asked, plopping down next to him.

"None of your fucking business, that's what." He snarled, hands crossed over his chest.

"Good lord. Don't tell me you've managed to screw it up already?" Lily sighed, slumping back into the couch. "And to think I wasted a perfectly good disillusionment charm on the two of you."

Sirius' eyebrows shot up.

"That was you?" He asked, incredulously. "I thought Remus had…"

"Please." Lily interrupted him, rolling her eyes. "I think Remus was a bit occupied."

Sirius blushed slightly.

"Well, thanks, I guess." He mumbled.

They sat in silence for a while, until realization finally dawned on Lily.

"This is about James, isn't it?" She concluded. "You weren't supposed to tell him."

Sirius glanced at her sharply.

"You've talked to him about it?" He asked.

"If you're asking whether I've had a rational conversation with him about it, the answer is no." She replied. "But I have listened to him rant like a six year old, if that's what you meant."

"I take it he hasn't gotten used to the idea yet, then?" Sirius questioned a tad bitterly.

"The last I heard he was still picturing you two shagging in broom closets behind his back." She informed him dryly.

"Yeah, I wish." He returned sullenly. "The only action I've gotten this year is from my right hand."

Lily grimaced.

"Thank you for that wonderful image." She told him sarcastically.

"I need a drink." Sirius declared after a moment.

He looked at Lily sideways, sizing her up.

"Come on," he said finally, seizing her hand and pulling her to her feet, "let's go to Hogsmeade and get smashed."

"Are you honestly suggesting," Lily asked, pulling her hand away from Sirius' grasp, "that the head girl sneak out of the castle with you to illegally enter Hogsmeade and consume alcoholic beverages?"

Sirius smirked.

"Afraid that with a bit of firewhiskey in you, you won't be able to resist the charms of Sirius Black?" He suggested with a wink.

"All of the firewhiskey in all of England wouldn't make me want to shag you." Lily retorted.

"Well, no worries then." Sirius replied, not even flinching at her stinging remark.

He grabbed her hand once again and dragged her out of the common room, pulling out a worn piece of parchment and consulting it as they went. Eventually, Lily stopped struggling and let herself be dragged along. Her thoughts drifted to the exams that were fast approaching and her earlier fight with James. _You know, a drink might not be this worst idea_, she thought with a small smile as they entered the shady pub.

"Two firewhiskies." Sirius told the barman as they took a seat at the bar.

When the drinks arrived, he raised his glass to Lily's.

"Cheers." He said, clinking the glasses together and then downing his in a single gulp.

He held up his hand to the barman to signal another, and Lily took a taste of her own.

"So, James said he had a fight with you." Sirius mentioned as he waited for his second drink. "What was it about?"

"You and Remus." Lily answered bluntly.

She looked down at her drink and sighed.

"Actually, it was really more about me and him." She admitted, running a finger along the ring of her glass. "I guess I just don't know if I can really see a future for us. I mean, in a few months we're going to be entering the real world – living on our own. Yet, James is still such a child sometimes."

"Aww, come on, Lil." Sirius said, already working on his third drink. "You're being too hard on poor Prongsy. He loves you."

Lily's expression softened somewhat.

"So what about you and Remus?" She asked, switching the focus to Sirius. "Are things _ever_ going to work out for you two?"

Sirius sighed, staring down into his drink.

"I have no idea." He answered truthfully. "No bloody idea."

At that particular moment, the object of their discussion was currently back on the grounds of Hogwarts, walking along the edge of the lake and trying to puzzle out that very same question.

He passed the infamous old oak and thought back to Sirius' harsh words to him, that day when everything had fallen apart. Suddenly, his mind flashed to the conversation they had had over the summer the day they found out James was coming to visit. Sirius had accused him of lying as a way of life. Maybe it was true.

But if that was the case, he mused, if his life was so covered in deceit, how was he supposed to find the truth? How was he supposed to trust someone? How could he allow himself to trust Sirius after everything that had happened?

He absentmindedly picked up a pebble and tossed it toward the lake. It skipped the water several times before slowly plunging into the depths.

"Four skips. Not bad." Came a voice from behind him.

Remus turned to see James walking towards him.

"What are you doing out here anyway?" He continued. "Where's Sirius?"

"I needed some time to think." Remus muttered, avoiding his friend's gaze.

"That doesn't sound too good." James commented. "That's the same thing Lily always says after I've done something to piss her off."

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything." Remus burst out suddenly, finally looking up at James. "I was just worried how you'd react. I didn't want to lose your friendship."

James was taken aback by Remus' outburst, and the pleading look in his eye. He looked so small and frightened.

"No, it's okay." James found himself responding quickly. "I mean, I was, erm, surprised. I'm still, you know, having a bit of trouble wrapping my mind around it…"

"Well, you don't have to, anymore." Remus interrupted him, gazing back out over the lake. "I don't think it's going to work out."

James opened his mouth to reply but then shut it. Remus seemed so genuinely upset. He thought back to the conversation he'd had with Sirius when he had found him out here, almost at this exact spot.

"I know he can be kind of a prat." James heard himself say. "But he's really in love with you."

Remus glanced back sharply in his surprise.

"You actually want us together?" He asked, incredulously.

James shook his head slightly. He was just asking himself the same question.

"Look, you guys are my best mates." He answered finally, grudgingly. "And not to be a complete girl, but I do actually want you both to be happy. When I talked to Sirius earlier today, it was the most miserable I've ever seen him. And you don't look so great yourself, at the moment."

As he thought it over, James realized that Lily had been right all along, in a way. He still thought the whole thing had come completely out of no where, and he still thought it was a bit weird for two blokes to be shagging each other – but he had to admit, he'd rather have Sirius and Remus be together as a couple, then apart and making everyone else miserable. These past few weeks had not been fun for anyone.

Remus, however, did not seem entirely convinced.

"I don't think I can ever trust him again, James." He said with a heavy sigh.

"Okay, now who's being the girl?" James replied, eliciting a slight smile from Remus.

"Look," he continued seriously, "trust takes time. But that doesn't mean you have to give up on him entirely. Besides, he'll wear you down eventually, anyway. He's Sirius."

At this, Remus laughed outright. He thought briefly about his and Sirius' earlier tryst in the hospital wing. James had no idea how right he was. Sirius was bloody irresistible when he wanted to be.

"Come on," James said, motioning for Remus to follow him as he took off towards the whomping willow. "I know what will make you feel better."

"Firewhiskey?" Remus guessed with a smirk, following James nonetheless.

"You're a mind reader, my dear Moony!" James confirmed, prodding the massive tree with a stick to quell its flailing branches.

"No, I just know you too well." Remus replied with a laugh.

He and James ducked into the hidden passage and made their way into Hogsmeade and towards their favorite pub. They had just barely stepped inside and were contemplating where to sit, when a shout came from somewhere in the vicinity of the bar.

"Moony!" Someone exclaimed, noticing them at the door. "Prongs!"

James and Remus made their way towards the sound and found Sirius and Lily sitting at the bar. Lily still seemed to still have her wits about her, but Sirius was obviously completely wasted. Lily actually looked rather relieved to see them.

James looked back and forth between his girlfriend and best friend in utter disbelief.

"You came out drinking with him?" He asked Lily, a bit more accusatorily than strictly necessary.

"She wanted to shag me, too." Sirius offered helpfully, reaching out to clap James on the shoulder and nearly falling off his barstool. "Had to remind the poor girl that I'm gay."

He gestured at Remus, as if to strengthen his point. This time he really did fall off the barstool.

"Sirius is drunk." Lily clarified, when James tore his gaze away from Sirius' position on the floor and fixed his girlfriend with a raised eyebrow.

"Thanks, Lil. We'd gathered as much." Remus replied, pulling his robes out of Sirius' grasp.

With a sigh, he lowered his hand and pulled Sirius back to his feet. He kept a steadying hand on Sirius' shoulder to keep him upright.

"You were really _this_ upset with me?" James asked, turning to Lily once again.

"I just didn't want him to go get wasted by himself." Lily defended herself. "I came strictly in a chaperone capacity."

"Liar." Sirius muttered. "She was trying to get me drunk so I'd sleep with her."

Lily rolled her eyes, apparently not thinking this warranted a response. They were beginning to draw attention from the other bar patrons, so Remus pulled Sirius into a nearby booth, Lily and James following close behind.

"Could you at least sober him up a little bit?" Remus asked, once they were all tucked in to the booth.

Lily gave a long suffering sigh and then muttered a spell, flicking her wand in Sirius direction. He sat up a bit straighter. He cleared his throat and seemed about ready to speak when the bartender sidled over, plunking four firewhiskies on the table in front of them.

"Your drink of choice, yeah?" He asked.

"Actually, we didn't order…" Remus tried, but the man was already halfway back to the bar.

"So, what are you two doing here, anyway?" Sirius asked finally, after a few moments of awkward silence.

"I thought Remus could use a drink." James told him.

Lily snorted.

"You mean, you thought you could use a drink." She said with a slight smirk.

"Well, I did just have a fight with my girlfriend." James returned softly.

"Yeah, I heard about that." Lily replied playfully, but with a hint of seriousness. "I heard she completely overreacted."

James smiled, wrapping an arm around her beside him in the booth.

"Nah. I was a jerk. I'm sorry." He told her sincerely.

He pulled her into a light kiss, which quickly became more passionate.

"Oh, get a room." Sirius muttered, quite bitterly.

Lily and James pulled away reluctantly and James fixed Sirius and Remus with a questioning glance.

"Well?" He asked. When neither of them answered, he sighed.

"Come on." He said in the tone of voice used to coax a child into eating their vegetables. "Now it's your turn. Kiss and make up."

He thought about what he'd just said and added quickly, "That's just an expression, you know. A kiss isn't strictly necessary."

Lily elbowed him under the table.

"Don't worry, James. Moony doesn't do public displays of affection" Sirius reassured him, finally taking a swig of the firewhiskey that had been sitting in front of him. "Wouldn't want anyone to think we were poufs or anything."

"Hey!" Remus interjected. "That's not fair!"

Lily gently pulled the glass out of Sirius' hand and set it on the table.

"How about you try to make things better, instead of worse?" She suggested.

Sirius sighed.

"You're right. I'm sorry." He replied.

He turned to Remus and repeated his apology.

"I just hate this!" He exclaimed in frustration. "It sucks when you're mad at me. I know it's my fault. I'm a complete fuck up. But, come on, I've always been a fuck up – you knew that going in."

Remus smiled slightly.

"You're not a fuck up." He said quietly. After a moment, he added, "I mean, you're not going to be winning any 'Best Boyfriend of the Year' awards or anything…"

"Boyfriend?" Sirius repeated, cutting him off. "Do you realize you just referred to me as your boyfriend?"

"Well, that's what you are, isn't it?" Remus returned, not able to keep a slight smirk from creeping across his face.

Sirius stared at him for a moment, seemingly lost for words. Then he apparently decided words weren't necessary and pulled Remus into a hard, passionate kiss. There was an indistinct noise from somewhere in James direction, but to Sirius' surprise, Remus didn't push him away. He deepened the kiss.

"Oh, for God's sakes!" James cried. "Are you trying to kill me?"

Remus laughed into the kiss, finally pulling away. Sirius looked happier than James had seen him in a long time.

"I think this calls for a toast!" Sirius declared, grabbing his glass and motioning for the others to do the same.

"What are we toasting to?" James asked, dutifully picking up his glass.

"To me and Moony, of course!" Sirius replied. "And to the fact that I am so bloody gorgeous that he can't resist me."

James snorted, and Remus rolled his eyes.

"Wait." Lily cut in. "How about we toast to James and I?"

"What did you two do that was toast worthy?" Sirius demanded.

"How about to friendship?" James compromised. "That includes all of us."

"To being seventeen." Remus said quietly, raising his glass.

The others looked up and smiled as they raised their glasses in turn. It was perfect.

"To being seventeen." They chorused.

"To being seventeen and in love." Remus added as, much to James dismay, he pulled his boyfriend into another passionate kiss.

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And that's it. The. End.

I hope you guys enjoyed. It was my first real attempt at full-length slash. A final review will earn you my undying gratitude. I hope to see you again, reading my future fanfictions. And don't worry, I've got more Remus/Sirius in the works.

All my love, Leanna


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